Bijbellezer 1814 - 1879

David van der Kellen etched this print, "Bible Reader," in the nineteenth century. Notice the man's intense focus, his brow furrowed as he pores over the sacred text. This act of reading takes on symbolic weight. The motif of reading appears throughout art history, each time imbued with the cultural values of its era. Consider the classical philosophers depicted with scrolls, emblems of wisdom, or the illuminated manuscripts of the medieval period, where reading was a devotional act. In van der Kellen's print, the Bible is not merely a book but a source of profound spiritual engagement. This echoes across time, connecting to earlier depictions of biblical scholars and reappearing in modern art that explores themes of knowledge and introspection. The act of reading has a cyclical progression, changing and adapting in meaning, yet always returning to its fundamental roots.