J.G. Beukers op zijn sterfbed 1932

Lodewijk Schelfhout made this etching of J.G. Beukers on his deathbed, using a sparse and delicate network of lines. You can imagine Schelfhout, pencil in hand, capturing the solemnity of the scene, the quiet stillness of the room, and the last breaths of a dying man. I wonder what it was like for him to make this, sitting there in that heavy atmosphere, trying to capture something so fleeting, so profound. The thin lines almost feel like whispered prayers, barely there, fading into the background, just like life itself, right? The way the light catches the face, the soft shadows defining the features, and then the cross, a symbol of hope and salvation... it all comes together in a really moving portrayal of mortality. It reminds us that artists often use their work to grapple with life's big questions, to make sense of the beauty and sorrow that surround us. And in doing so, they invite us to reflect on our own experiences.