Zittende man 1781

John B. Skippe created this print, "Zittende man," employing chiaroscuro to model the human form. Observe the seated man's dramatic pose, his body twisted, gaze averted as his face expresses a mix of anguish and defiance. This contorted posture, deeply rooted in antiquity, echoes the Hellenistic sculpture of Laocoön, whose suffering became a powerful symbol of human agony. The motif of a writhing figure reappears through the ages, transformed each time by artists grappling with themes of pain and resilience. Consider its echo in the Baroque era with Bernini's "Apollo and Daphne," and in the tormented figures of Michelangelo. Such gestures tap into a shared, almost subconscious understanding of human emotion, a collective memory of suffering and struggle that transcends time. Skippe is not merely depicting a man; he's invoking the very essence of human endurance.