Bewening van het lichaam van Christus 1616

Gerard ter Borch made this drawing, "Bewening van het lichaam van Christus" or "Lamentation of the Body of Christ," around 1618 using pen and brown ink, with brown wash, on paper. The starkness of the ink and the artist’s economic use of wash emphasizes the rawness of the scene. Ter Borch focused on the emotional weight, rather than decorative embellishments. Pen and ink drawings like this are immediate. There’s little room for error. The artist needs to commit to the line. The immediacy of the medium and the way the artist used hatching to create shading gives the artwork a feeling of texture, mimicking the folds of fabric and the contours of the human form. This artwork shows how traditional materials, when handled with skill and sensitivity, can convey powerful emotional and spiritual narratives. It reminds us that art doesn't always need grand materials to make a grand statement.