H. Franciscus Xaverius wekt een dode tot leven 1630s

Marinus Robyn van der Goes etched this print of Saint Francis Xavier seemingly without a date. Observe the central figure, Xavier, whose outstretched hand and piercing gaze command life back into the deceased. This motif of resurrection, deeply rooted in Christian iconography, echoes through time. Think of Lazarus, raised from the dead by Christ himself. This moment, revisited across centuries, reveals our collective fascination with overcoming mortality. The gesture of the hand, a conduit of divine power, appears in ancient Egyptian art, where pharaohs bestow life with a touch. In this print, the emotional intensity is palpable. The surrounding figures express awe, fear, and hope. This collective response mirrors our own subconscious grappling with life and death, a primal drama played out through art. Note how the symbol of resurrection is not linear, it resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings, shaped by cultural memory.