Art Story

In this large-format work by Roger Raveel, a sense of contemplation and resignation resonates. The title "En toch nog de zee" suggests a backward glance: despite everything, the sea - a symbol of infinity, freedom, or perhaps even death - remains a constant presence. At the center of the composition is a mirrored surface. Not an unfamiliar motif in classical art history - already seen, for instance, in Jan Van Eyck's work from 1434 - but Raveel uses it differently. The mirror is more than a visual element: it invites engagement, breaks the boundary between art and reality, and draws both the surrounding space and the viewer literally into the image. The combination of white space, sober forms, and the tension between interior and exterior is characteristic of Raveel's later oeuvre. The human figure - absent, or present through its reflection - once again takes a central place in the dialogue with its surroundings and with itself.