Grafmonument van Cornelis de Witt in de Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk te Rotterdam 1911

This photograph shows a monument for Cornelis de Witt in the Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk in Rotterdam. It was documented in August of 1911. Think about the hands that carved this stone, chipping away bit by bit to create these figures. They were driven by images in their mind. This is a monument to a person and the details are symbolic. There are angels and virtues, and the body of the deceased lies on top of the tomb. What would it be like to be the sculptor, day after day coaxing these forms out of hard, resistant stone? The folds in the fabric and the features on the faces all so important. This monument stands in conversation with other monuments. The artists are all trying to say something about life and death, loss and honor. Each one responding to what came before, each one adding something new. It’s a conversation across time, each artist inspiring the next, all of us adding to the story.