Christus aan het kruis 1919

Lodewijk Schelfhout made this etching, Christus aan het kruis, sometime in the early twentieth century. The mark making here is so interesting, it’s a real scratching around for form. You get the impression he’s really digging into that plate. Look at the contrast between the figure and the trees. The light falling behind the cross is rendered with such a delicate touch, whereas the trees on either side are created with these dark, almost gothic, marks. The cross itself and Christ’s body appear relatively untouched, as if the light is erasing them. I love the way the base of the image is a kind of jagged, mountainous form. It's almost like the crucifixion is taking place on a stage. The whole thing has this really theatrical quality, which chimes with artists like Edvard Munch, with that really expressive, emotionally charged approach. It's like Schelfhout is inviting us to witness something deeply personal.