Art Explained By A Writer - Het Zieke Kind (The Sick Child - 1660-1665)
Back home. It's dark we stay. What will happen this time? The night is young but all I can do is sit, hold and wait.
The end is near, the doctor said. His messages are always the same There's no hope, the body gives up. Be prepared.
Not once did he take a hand in his or take his hat off.
Hush, baby, hush, sleep and dream while you still can. I wish I could laugh, dance, sing, I wish I had a life.
I sit, hold, observe. Between the curtains of the bed is the grey-green skin visible. The odor irritates my nostrils.
The clock strikes, the cough stopped, and so did the heavy breathing. Silence. One down. How to pay the landlord?
Idiot! You should have sold the white poultry instead of the rabbit feet!
I wait, hold, if it's all in god's hand why did the painting fade without a spark of sunlight?
Silence. The pendulum in the hallway strikes ten.
Mom? Can I go to bed I don't feel well.
The sick child coughs.
12.1.25
Painter: Gabriël Metsu (Dutch) - Rijksmuseum
Painting: public domain
Contest hosted by @solperez
No hay nada peor que esperar el desenlace de una vida, y no poder hacer nada para engañar al destino. Ni siquiera una pata de conejo es capaz de hacer que escapemos de la muerte.
Como siempre, es grato leerte. Tus descripciones cuentan de modo genuino. Gracias por estar. Un abrazo.
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We all need some fate I guess but if the rabbit foot or a white chicken will help? Time will tell and if the immune system works and a strong will humans will survive. Thank you for stopping by, It's appreciated. A warm embrace to you.
Todo lo que utilicemos para sentir que podemos lograr nuestros objetivos será bienvenido: una pata de conejo, un pollo blanco o un azabache, jeje.
🍀♥️
@ wakeupkitty
The black face of the child evokes thoughts of the plague, which was rampant in that era, and this child will soon die. On the foot, there seems to be an ulcer, which is characteristic of the plague. On the wall, there is an icon, but there is no divine mercy for this family, just like for millions of others.
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She might survive and suffer from something else. People did survive the plague more than we believe. Most died in "big cities" and the main problem was hygiene. For now they both wait.
You know what I find strange? Why the child's legs aren't covered? If you feel sick you have the chills.
I visited a museum in the east part of the Netherlands where mummy was the topic. Not those from Egypt but Europe. Due to the (sour) soul they found many and they are still intact. A part looked like those in bandages. There were also "bodies" of mothers and children where they wrote how they grinded parts of those who died of the plague to make a med out to save others (nope, that didn't work out).
Your words reflect strong emotions and vividly portray the weight of loss, suffering, and uncertainty. The interaction of concrete details (gray-green skin, smells, pendulum chimes) with the internal storm is emotionally charged. It embodies a sense of helplessness, yet there is a poignant beauty in the honesty of the story. It is a profound meditation on the transience of life and the silent battles we fight.
Thank you for sharing this profound and moving piece. 🌟
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Do you have painting like these showing the effect of plagues among the common people? That is what this painter is famous for.
How are you? Did you give up on your video making?
thank you for asking about creating the video. as i said i'm working on the video with my brother. so the idea was to make the video and share how to make videos with steemit users, but since i no longer have my brother's help, i can't continue for the time being. he paused the project for personal reasons. i need to balance work, study, and video editing. however, i'm still learning and progressing, and that's what's important. for 2025, i set goals. the end of 2024 was difficult, but i'm making progress. in addition, i've resumed my activity on steamit, and i have a lot of ideas. while i don't think i will continue with the video for now, the important thing is that i tried to make it.
It is good to see you back and first comes first. I hope you find the balance between study, work and relaxation. I agree with you that giving it a try is important and if this is meant to be it will happen.
I wish you a great evening, thank you for taking the time to explain.
thank you , may I have your private contact? I would like to ask you something.
The Plague of Ashdod (1620) by Nicolas Poussin
This Baroque painting portrays the biblical plague that struck the city of Ashdod, showing the effects of disease on the people and the environment.
But did the plague effect Tunesia? This is a French painter or are you French and did you emigrate?
What I find amazing is that the Netherlands was involved in a war that nearly last 80 years and at the same time it was their golden age and there was a plague...
No, I'm Tunisian, but I remember studying this. It's not for French, but it is a powerful depiction of a biblical event. In Tunisia, we have a strong French culture because we were colonized by the French, and French is also the second language here.
Paintings during this period were a bit creepy. I imagine if electricity was out during a thunderstorm and you were staring at these paintings illuminated by lightning...
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I doubt they had electricity back then, for sure not the average person.
The paintings were more like what we call "hel en verdoemenis" (hell and doom) and they dominated, no way you could escape. Even if the picture faded away you still saw it. I remember one about a praying girl in nightdress on her knees in front of the bed. It hung at the wall and stared at me at my grandmother's house. It still haunts me after all those years (I went to sleep in the attic LOL).
There was also a huge painting of Jesus crucified. It was actually a nice one and I could never find out who painted it. It was huge and hung in the villa above a black cabinet. The background was black and Jesus white.. so it's clear what you see if the light were off (oil lamps in the living same effect).
Somehow it reminds me of the dark ages. I say dark because that's what it is. Kind of lost of hope and starting something new. According to a historian, the Medieval wasn't that dark. They loved colours (clothes included) especially read and blue.
Hi, I hope you are well. I think I've done a lot of olgazaneating already and I'm going to try to start writing again. I'll see you.
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Hi dear friend,
It's good to see you back. I stopped by once in a while and hope you are doing well. How is your son? Mine started university this semester and so far he is really disappointed. He "studies" and has to work next to it (I assume he works the rest of this month since no one seems to show up at the exams).
It's winter so cold and I have a hard time to make a fire, I hope it will burn before the children arrive back home.
Feel free to join the contest "the face of ..." in this community or join the freewriters again.
@oliva08 say hi to @gertu