Sich geißelnder Büßer mit Rabe c. 1857

This is "Self-flagellating penitent with raven" by Arnold Böcklin, and it's currently held at the Städel Museum. Böcklin was a Swiss symbolist painter whose work often explored themes of mythology and the macabre. This sketch offers a stark, almost theatrical, exploration of guilt, penance, and isolation. The figure, caught in a moment of self-inflicted pain, is observed by a raven. The artist sets up a tension between the internal suffering of the penitent and the external, indifferent gaze of nature. During the late 19th century, the role of religion and spirituality was being questioned, and images like these offered a way to explore personal struggles with faith and morality. The raw emotion depicted invites us to consider the weight of personal responsibility and the search for redemption in a rapidly changing world.