1651
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Monk is a 1651 ink by Wenceslaus Hollar, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows a monk kneeling in a dim room, his arms outstretched as if in prayer or despair. His robe is loose, and his head is bowed. Around him, a skeleton lies on the floor, holding a hourglass and a broken staff. The room has heavy stone walls, and two figures stand in arched frames on either side—one holding a candle, the other a scroll. The Latin text below reads like a warning: *"Sedentes in tenebris & in Umbra Mortis Vinculas in mendicitate"* (Sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, bound in begging). The contrast between the living monk and the skeleton hints at themes of time and mortality. Look up etching to see how artists like Hollar carved these precise lines into metal.
Wenceslaus Hollar (Czech: Václav Hollar (Czech pronunciation: ), German: Wenzel Hollar; 23 July 1607 – 25 March 1677) was a Czech engraver, etcher and painter.
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