Het braaksel in het vuur geworpen, 3 1639 - 1699

This anonymous print from the Rijksmuseum depicts a scene laden with symbolic weight. At its heart, we see a purging: a vomiting man, his rejected sacrament collected on a plate, while nearby, a woman unflinchingly casts vomit into a fire. Fire, traditionally a symbol of purification, takes on an ambiguous role here. Is it meant to cleanse, or does it amplify the act of rejection? Consider the persistent motif of the 'thrown object' across cultures – from discarded idols to burnt letters, it signifies a decisive break. Yet, the act of burning also suggests a transformation, a transition. The rejected sacrament carries a particularly potent charge. In other contexts, the sacrament is the ultimate symbol of spiritual nourishment. Here, its expulsion speaks to a deeper unease, a rejection of established order, a spiritual crisis. The image's emotional power lies in its raw depiction of disgust and defiance, resonating with our own subconscious struggles against societal and spiritual expectations. This is more than just an image; it's a visceral expression of inner turmoil, endlessly recurring in the human psyche.