Fotoreproductie van een schilderij van een man die voorover ligt op een bureau before 1876

This photomechanical print presents a man collapsed over a desk, a potent image of despair. The motif of the melancholic figure recurs throughout art history, from ancient depictions of mourning to Renaissance portrayals of scholars overwhelmed by knowledge. Think of Dürer’s *Melancholia I*, where the winged figure sits amidst discarded tools, paralyzed by thought. The slouched posture of the man speaks to a profound psychological state—a sense of being crushed by burdens. This posture transcends mere physical exhaustion; it embodies a deeper weariness of the soul. This figure, like so many before him, becomes a vessel for our collective anxieties and existential questioning. Consider how such images tap into our shared unconscious, evoking empathy and prompting reflection on our own struggles with the weight of existence. The symbol of the collapsed man continues its cyclical journey, reappearing in contemporary art to reflect modern anxieties.