Twee studies van een naakte man en de kop van een jongetje c. 1618 - 1622

Gerard ter Borch sketched these studies of a nude man and a boy's head using pen in brown ink with a brush in gray ink. The seated figure, bent over with intense concentration as he carves, is powerfully evocative. This posture and expression remind us of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and metalworking. The bent posture of the figure connects this image to a long lineage of craftsmen and creators depicted throughout history. The act of creation is physically demanding, requiring intense focus. We can feel the weight of labor in the figure’s hunched form. Consider how images of labor, like this one, recur across cultures, each time imbued with new social and psychological significance. This constant re-emergence and re-interpretation speaks to the cyclical nature of human experience. The symbol evolves, yet the core emotional and psychological experience remains, engaging viewers across generations.