Spotprent met Jozef Israëls, Jacob Maris en Albert Neuhuys 1885 - 1889

Jan Holswilder created this print featuring Jozef Israëls, Jacob Maris, and Albert Neuhuys. Observe the lamp and the lamplighter, a prominent motif throughout history. The lamp symbolizes enlightenment, knowledge, and guidance. Yet here, it is being cleaned, its light obscured—a metaphor for hidden truths. Think of the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes, who wandered with a lamp in broad daylight, searching for an honest man. He questioned the surface and sought deeper meaning, just as we must do when interpreting symbols. The act of cleaning the lamp can be seen as revealing hidden knowledge. The lamplighter, ascending his ladder, becomes a figure akin to Prometheus, striving to bring light to mankind. This ascent echoes the cyclical nature of understanding. These men appear trapped in the endless cycle of maintaining the light, perhaps suggesting the eternal struggle to maintain artistic and intellectual integrity.