Kruisoprichting 1831 - 1890

Jean Baptiste Pierre Michiels created this print titled "Kruisoprichting" using etching techniques. The composition is immediately striking, organized around the dynamic and monumental task of raising the cross. Michiels uses line and shadow to create a heightened sense of drama. Note how the figures strain, their muscles flexed under the weight, emphasizing human effort. The layering of bodies and the cross form a complex interplay of light and dark, directing our eye upward. This visual arrangement can be interpreted as a reflection on power structures. The raised cross, a symbol of religious authority, is rendered through the physical exertion of those below. It questions not only the event itself but also the systems of belief and representation. The dense etching style and dramatic composition challenge viewers to consider the relationship between physical action, symbolic meaning, and the viewer's own position within these frameworks.