Het braaksel in het vuur geworpen, 3 1639

This print, Het braaksel in het vuur geworpen, 3, was created by Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert, using engraving. Notice how the artist uses a stark contrast between light and shadow to guide our eyes through the scene. The composition is structured to lead us from the foreground figures to the bedridden patient, culminating in the central act of discarding the vomit into the fire. The use of line and hatching creates depth and texture, giving a tactile quality to the fabrics and faces. The act of burning waste can be seen as a symbolic gesture. What is rejected by the body is cast back into the flames, a kind of primal purification. This challenges conventional notions of hygiene and sacredness by presenting the abject as a form of ritual cleansing. This is made visible by the lines and tonal contrasts that suggest a narrative of disease, expulsion, and attempted purification, inviting us to reflect on the boundaries between body, spirit, and the social order.