DIRK BOODE
1891 – Delft – 1957
CHRIST ON THE CROSS IN MODERN TIMES
colored chalk on paper on board, 715 x 584 mm
signed and dated lower right: DIRK BOODE / 1929
date: 1929
provenance:
private collection, The Netherlands
Christ on the Cross stands within a landscape that, in the background, reveals modern architecture and industrial buildings. In the foreground a group of figures is depicted, none of whom appears aware of the presence of Christ. All of the figures—except for the baby—look toward the left and seem absorbed in their own thoughts. The man in the blue shirt at the front is a laborer carrying a tool over his shoulder. Behind him to the left stands a man in a suit, holding his hand to his forehead, while beside him a man and a woman are shown with a young child seated on her lap. Further back, two men are working the land with horses. The scene juxtaposes a traditional religious motif with a contemporary rural and industrial setting.
In this work by Boode, the influence of Jan Toorop is clearly evident. The composition reflects a Symbolist approach in which religious, contemporary social, and personal themes converge within a single image—for example, the juxtaposition of the Crucifixion with a family group and laborers. The refined, flowing lines lend the composition a decorative, almost graphic quality, while the figures combine naturalistic representation with elongated, stylized forms that suggest the impact of Art Nouveau. Notably, the composition demonstrates an integrated use of the entire picture plane: foreground, middle ground, and background are seamlessly interconnected, creating a unified and rhythmic visual structure in which no element stands in isolation.
Dirk Boode was a versatile Dutch artist trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague and a member of the Delft Art Circle. His practice encompassed painting, drawing, and printmaking, as well as woodcarving, children’s book illustration, bookbinding design, and stained glass. In the 1930s, his style evolved toward a more geometric Art Deco idiom, characterized by pronounced contrasts and emphatic shadow modeling, while his earlier work displays a less defined stylistic approach. He died in Delft in 1957.