Golgotha I 1914

Lodewijk Schelfhout made this print, Golgotha I, using etching techniques. It’s all monochrome. Imagine the artist scraping away at the plate, pushing at the metal, a physical act of mark-making that’s as much about building as it is about removing. The scene, heavy with religious symbolism, feels like a stage set, doesn't it? I can't help but think about what Schelfhout was going through when he made this. Was it a wrestling with faith, or perhaps a reflection on suffering and redemption? The way the figures are rendered, almost spectral, suggests to me a deep dive into the emotional weight of the story. Consider the lines etched into the metal—so deliberate, yet raw. This to me is like a conversation across time, an artist engaging with the weight of art history, and maybe even adding his own chapter to that never-ending story.