Vierde kruiswegstatie 1931

Lodewijk Schelfhout made this monochrome print, Vierde kruiswegstatie, sometime between 1881 and 1943. You can almost feel the artist’s hand at work, building up shadows and light, the figures emerging through line and tone. I wonder what Schelfhout was thinking when he made this? What inspired him to produce a religious scene in such a personal, modern style? The composition is classical, but the rendering feels almost like a dream. See how the linear marks build form and texture, especially in the heavy drapes of the figure to the right. What’s so cool about painting and printmaking is that every mark, every gesture, can communicate feeling and intention. It's a real conversation between the artist and their materials. Schelfhout knew that like all artists, he was part of something bigger than himself. Each artist builds upon the ideas of those who came before, in an exchange of ideas across time. And like all good art, this piece invites us to bring our own experiences and interpretations to it, so that it might continue to speak to new audiences.