Dood van Dom Juan 1878 - 1879

Jean-Antoine-Valentin Foulquier captured the death of Dom Juan with ink on paper. The figure, likely the statue of the Commander, stands as a spectral vision, hand raised, embodying divine judgment. This raised hand, a motif resonant across time, appears in ancient Roman art as a symbol of power and authority. Later, we find it in Christian iconography as a gesture of blessing or damnation. Here, it signifies the ultimate reckoning, not just for Dom Juan, but for all who defy moral law. Consider the persistence of this gesture, how it carries ancestral memory—a shared understanding of justice and consequence. The statue, wreathed in an otherworldly glow, connects to a long line of avenging figures in art history, each embodying a culture's deepest fears and moral imperatives. The cyclical nature of these symbols reminds us that certain human dramas and anxieties are timeless, constantly resurfacing in new forms to confront and challenge us.