Lucas 1930

Lodewijk Schelfhout made this small etching, Lucas, during the first half of the twentieth century. Can you imagine the artist, bent over the plate, etching away the surface, line by line, immersed in the story of St Luke? I bet Schelfhout felt a real connection to Luke, the patron saint of artists: the image captures the saint in a moment of contemplation with his tools. His face is long and angular and his body is draped in flowing garments, a halo hovering above. The figure sits in front of a large tree with bare branches that seem to reach out like fingers. There’s something both ancient and modern about this print, something that makes it a powerful piece of visual storytelling. It is a reminder that artists are always in conversation with one another, across time and space. We draw inspiration from those who came before, and we leave our own mark for those who will come after.