Hoofd van een onthoofde man 1864

Auguste Danse's 1864 etching, "Hoofd van een onthoofde man," depicts the head of a decapitated man in stark detail. The subject's eyes are wide open, revealing the terror of the moment of death. The work is a powerful example of the Realist movement, which sought to depict life as it truly was, without idealization. Danse's work captures the brutality of death with stark realism, prompting viewers to confront the harsh realities of life and loss. The etching is currently housed in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.