Christus aan het kruis 1866 - 1902

Franciscus Antonius Beersmans created this print of Christ on the Cross. Immediately, the sun and moon command our attention, ancient symbols representing duality, balance, and the cosmos. The sun, often associated with divinity and reason, is paired with the moon, tied to intuition and the unconscious. This juxtaposition mirrors the crucifixion itself, a moment of divine sacrifice and human suffering. Note the angels collecting Christ's blood in chalices, a potent symbol of salvation and the Eucharist. This motif echoes across centuries, appearing in medieval altarpieces and Renaissance paintings, each time subtly shifting to reflect contemporary theological interpretations. Consider the emotional weight of the scene. The Virgin Mary and Saint John stand in sorrow, their gestures conveying grief and acceptance. This tableau taps into our collective memory of loss and mourning. The cyclical nature of these symbols—sun, moon, chalice—reveals how cultural memory operates. They resurface, transformed, carrying echoes of past meanings while adapting to new cultural contexts.