Lezende man in een interieur 1882 - 1940

Heinrich Reifferscheid created this etching, *Lezende man in een interieur*, depicting a man engrossed in reading, surrounded by the trappings of intellect. The books are the most prominent visual element, acting as a powerful symbol of knowledge, memory, and cultural transmission. This motif of being surrounded by books recalls the ancient Library of Alexandria, where scrolls were hoarded as treasures of human understanding. We see the image of books repeated throughout history, such as in Jan van Eyck's *Saint Jerome in His Study*, where books denote wisdom, learning, and the contemplative life. The emotional resonance of the image lies in the man's absorbed pose. The act of reading, then, embodies an escape from worldly concerns, offering solace and wisdom. Like a snake shedding its skin, humanity continually revisits and reinvents itself. Just as old texts are reinterpreted in new contexts, symbols reappear, transformed by the passage of time.