Hoofd van verrijzende Christus 1683 - 1733

This is Bernard Picart's "Head of the Risen Christ", made sometime between 1673 and 1733. The sanguine drawing arrests the viewer with its commanding presence. The artist employs a precise grid to construct the image. Notice how the network of uniformly spaced lines contrasts with the organic curves of Christ's hair and beard. This tension between the geometric and the natural introduces a complex interplay of order and dynamism. Picart uses the grid to map out the proportions of the face. The underlying structure gives way to looser rendering, especially in the flowing locks of hair that frame the face. The composition invites us to consider the relationship between the divine and the systematic. The grid is not merely a tool for representation but also a conceptual framework that invites the viewer to think about the construction of meaning itself. This interplay between structure and expression leaves us with an image that is both controlled and full of vitality.