Apostel Paulus wekt Eutychus tot leven 1697

This undated engraving by an anonymous artist, now in the Rijksmuseum, captures a dramatic biblical scene. The composition is structured by a stark contrast between the dark, densely etched background and the lighter, more sparsely detailed foreground. The central event—Paul resurrecting Eutychus—is framed by this play of light and shadow. The artist uses line and form to direct our gaze. The architecture in the background, rendered with tight, repetitive lines, provides a rigid, almost oppressive setting, against which the dynamic gestures of the figures stand out. Paul’s raised hand is a focal point, emphasized by its placement against a lighter area, suggesting divine intervention. The figures themselves, though small, are rendered with careful attention to musculature and pose, conveying a sense of movement and emotional intensity. This engraving engages with themes of power, faith, and the miraculous. By employing a formal vocabulary that balances darkness and light, rigidity and dynamism, the artist creates a visual space ripe with symbolic meaning. The act of resurrection, visually represented, becomes a powerful statement about the triumph over death, a concept deeply embedded in religious and philosophical discourse.