Legende van het Sint-Janskerkhof bij Laren 1899

Pieter Hendrik van Moerkerken created this woodblock, titled 'Legend of the Sint-Janskerkhof near Laren', to produce prints. The composition divides the image into three distinct horizontal layers that encourage us to read the artwork vertically as well as horizontally. At the top, radiant lines evoke both the rising or setting sun, and perhaps a spiritual awakening. Below this, we see an abstracted landscape, formed from what appears to be trees and houses, with repeated lines to suggest fields. The bottom section shows three figures kneeling between stylized plants, above a decorative border of flowers. There's a subtle interplay between figuration and abstraction, between natural forms and symbolic representation. The figures are simplified, almost archetypal, yet they convey a sense of solemnity. Van Moerkerken's emphasis on line and form transforms the legend into a semiotic landscape, inviting us to decode its visual language.