Davids berouw en straf 1645 - 1646

Christoffel van Sichem II created this woodcut, "David's Repentance and Punishment," sometime before his death in 1658. Here, David kneels, arms raised in a gesture of supplication, a plea echoed across millennia in countless acts of contrition. The motif of raised hands appears in ancient Egyptian art, in the posture of the orant figures in early Christian catacombs, and in countless Renaissance paintings. This gesture transcends specific religious contexts, tapping into a universal yearning for forgiveness. Think of the emotional intensity it conveys—a raw, vulnerable exposure of the self before a higher power. It’s a symbol deeply embedded in our collective unconscious, resonating with the primal human experience of guilt and the hope for redemption. This image is but one iteration in the ever-repeating cycle of human expression. Like a restless spirit, this symbol resurfaces, each time colored by the unique circumstances of its re-emergence.