Jacob, from the series Sylvae Sacrae Monumenta...Anachoretarum

Art Historical Context

This engraving, titled *Jacob* from the series *Sylvae Sacrae Monumenta...Anachoretarum* (Sacred Woods, Monuments of the Anchorites), was created in 1593–94 by Flemish painter Maerten de Vos and engraver Johann Sadeler I. The work depicts the biblical patriarch Jacob in a wooded wilderness, surrounded by skulls and gnarled trees—a powerful evocation of solitude, mortality, and spiritual contemplation. As part of a larger series celebrating early Christian hermits, it captures the era’s fascination with ascetic life and retreat from worldly concerns. Executed in fine engraving, the print exemp...