Portret van Adolphe Englebienne 1891

This is Auguste Danse’s portrait of Adolphe Englebienne, etched with precision and care. Englebienne is depicted holding rosary beads, a potent symbol of faith and devotion. The rosary, seen here as a string of beads, echoes the ancient practice of the prayer rope. The gesture of holding beads as a conduit for prayer resurfaces across cultures; consider the worry beads of Greece, or the mala beads used in Buddhism. Each tradition channels anxieties and focuses the mind. These beads become more than mere objects; they are imbued with the power of countless recitations, serving as a tool for introspection, offering solace and direction. The act of repetitive prayer, represented by these beads, taps into something primal. It’s a rhythmic grounding—a way to cope with existential angst. The image of Englebienne, eyes gazing off, evokes a deep connection to something beyond the immediate, a subconscious awareness of the eternal. This constant return is not linear but cyclical; the beads tell a story of the enduring human quest for meaning, faith, and peace across time.