Grafmonument van Daniel Octavius Barwell in de Hervormde Kerk te Vlissingen 1911

This is a photograph of the Grafmonument van Daniel Octavius Barwell, which sits inside the Hervormde Kerk in Vlissingen. I wonder about the hands that chiseled this stone tribute. There's an incredible layering of textures here, from the rough stone wall behind the monument, to the smooth, carved details of the stone itself. You can almost feel the cool, hard surface of the monument against your fingertips. I imagine the sculptor carefully considering each cut, each shadow, each plane. There is the bas-relief at the bottom. It's worn smooth, with a low horizon line of shipwrecks. What could this mean for Barwell? The central medallion is the cleanest plane, but is marred by damage. It's a sensitive and delicate carving. I bet other sculptors have looked at this monument over the years, contemplating its meaning and method, feeling a connection to the past through the language of form. It makes you wonder, how do we commemorate a life?