The Curtain (Le rideau), 1890
Adrien de Witteexpand_more
Black chalk and black crayon with white highlights on tan paperexpand_more
Gift of Dr. Gabriel P. and Yvonne M.L. Weisbergexpand_more 2020.92.2
Not on Viewexpand_more
A young, long-haired woman stands at the edge of a stage in front of a large, sumptuous curtain. She wears a crown of thorns. She is the Madre Miserocordia, the Mother of Mercy, one of the many titles bestowed on Mary the mother of Jesus by her devotees in the Roman Catholic Church. Her simple attire—long skirt, sleeveless blouse, and sandals—emphasizes her humility. She looks out to an unseen audience, drawing back the curtain as she points to what lies behind. In the shadows we can make out six huddled figures. Two children are in front. Further back we find two women—one young, one middle-aged. Deep within we can make out two more figures, possibly an elderly couple. These are the downtrodden, the poor, the forgotten. The Mother of Mercy reminds us of our duty to remember them and to help them.
Adrien de Witte is one of the most respected artists of Liège in Belgium. As a young man he spent five years in Rome, where he resided at the Darchis Foundation, an institution founded in 1699 for the purpose of supporting young men from Liège in their efforts to study art and theology in Rome. Apparently, both aims of the Darchis Foundation bore fruit in de Witte and his work. He made this drawing in 1890, the year of an international financial panic that snowballed from Barings Bank’s bad investments in South America. The hard lot of people like those behind the curtain got harder through no fault of their own.
Details
- Title
- The Curtain (Le rideau)
- Artist Life
- Liège 1850–Liège 1935
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2020.92.2
- Provenance
- [Galerie Maurice Tzwern, Brussels; to Weisberg]; Yvonne and Gabriel Weisberg, Minneapolis (until 2020; given to Mia)
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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