Christus aan het kruis omringd door figuren en dieren met op de achtergrond de Eiffeltoren 1877 - 1930

Henri de Groux made this print of Christ on the cross surrounded by figures and animals, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, using black ink on paper. It's a wild scene of dark frenzy. The inky blacks feel etched, almost clawed into the surface, which is to say, the artist’s hand feels very present. The tigers, or maybe they're lions, and the spectral figures all seem to be boiling out of the darkness. See how the Eiffel Tower looms in the distance, like some strange, indifferent monument to modernity? It makes me think, what does it mean to place such an ancient symbol of suffering against a backdrop of industrial progress? Consider the way that the stark contrasts and busy composition invite us to get lost in the details, to wander through the shadows and search for meaning. Think of Goya. Like Goya, de Groux isn't offering us any easy answers here, just a lot of questions. Is it a religious statement, or a commentary on society, or something else entirely? Maybe it's all of those things at once. It’s up to you.