Nachtwaker met lans en lantaarn te Kortrijk 1825 - 1835

Jean-Baptiste Madou’s Nachtwaker met lans en lantaarn te Kortrijk is a print with a solitary night watchman as its focal point. The composition is structured around the interplay of light and shadow, realized through meticulous hatching and cross-hatching techniques. The lantern’s glow casts dramatic shadows, accentuating the figure’s form and the cobblestone setting. The artist's use of light can be understood through the lens of semiotics, where light becomes a signifier of both hope and the unknown, embodying the ambiguous role of the watchman. Madou’s attention to detail, such as the texture of the watchman’s coat and the rough surface of the buildings, adds a tactile quality to the image, inviting the viewer to engage with the print on a sensory level. The print challenges the stability of meaning. The careful rendering of texture destabilizes established meanings, inviting us to question the boundaries between appearance and reality. This challenges us to interpret how reality is represented and understood, acknowledging art as a site for ongoing interpretation.