Art Story

As is often the case in Roger Raveel's oeuvre, this work can be interpreted in multiple ways. The simply suggested dove - with a hand reaching toward it - may be read as a classical dove of peace, which immediately explains the title. Yet the painting can just as easily carry the poetic resonance of "The hand of creation" (instead of "The hand of peace").

In this latter interpretation, the unpainted section of the canvas represents the Great Nothing, while the outstretched hand embodies a creative force. The ascending dove above an organic interplay of brushstrokes and amorphous forms then evokes the emergence of animal life and nature.

Raveel's interest in the biblical creation story - despite not being a practicing believer himself - is well documented. Ultimately, the viewer is free to choose their own reading, and it is precisely this openness that makes the work such a compelling piece within his oeuvre.