Christus toont zijn wonden aan een voor hem knielende man (de apostel Tomas?) 1798 - 1837

Curator: Let’s consider this intimate engraving, “Christus toont zijn wonden aan een voor hem knielende man (de apostel Tomas?)” created with ink, pen and engraving sometime between 1798 and 1837 by Ernst Willem Jan Bagelaar. The title is quite a mouthful, isn't it? Editor: It is! My first impression? Melancholy etched in spare lines. Look at those swirling clouds above...like thought bubbles of doubt, perhaps? And the humble kneeling figure, shoulders slumped, seems overwhelmed. Curator: Indeed. Bagelaar captures the very human element of faith – the need for tangible proof. This small work becomes a potent study on belief and the burdens of disbelief. Do you sense a deeper cultural resonance in that figure’s posture of supplication? Editor: Absolutely! That pose – kneeling, head bowed – it's repeated across centuries, in contexts religious and secular. From a medieval serf before his lord, to a penitent seeking absolution. The gesture transcends the literal story being told here; it embodies submission to power, a yielding of self. Curator: I agree. There's a fascinating power dynamic playing out between the figures that mirrors many relations of hierarchy across social structure, expressed here through the visual vocabulary of religion. I think the artist may be getting at the relationship between proof and belief itself – the textures are crude and spare; perhaps faith lies not in easily visible answers. Editor: Precisely. Even Christ's halo feels a little...unstable, jagged. More sunburst than divine aureole. What I find so compelling here is how the lack of definitive detail opens up room for personal interpretation. Bagelaar doesn’t dictate faith, he provokes questioning, even wonder. Curator: I find myself thinking about the way doubt persists despite the possibility of certainty...or, conversely, how a delicate expression of trust, once achieved, might never falter. Editor: And I see how images echo, morph, carry weight. From gospel stories to political cartoons, symbols retain their potent core while reflecting back our shifting understanding of authority and grace. Curator: It's a poignant exploration of human need, isn't it? Editor: An engraving pregnant with questions.