The Old Garden of Sorrows
Also titled Oude Tuin der Weeën
Jan Toorop (Poerworedjo, 1858–1928)
1889 - 1890
- Medium
- paper, pencil, chalk
- Classification
- drawing
- Dimensions
- height 549 mm x width 657 mm
- Museum
- Rijksmuseum
- Credit line
- Purchased with the support of the Stichting tot Bevordering van de Belangen van het Rijksmuseum
- Rights
- Public Domain Mark, as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed
About this work
According to Toorop, the ‘Old Garden of Sorrows’ is the place where the Soul, here personified as a woman, resides temporarily prior to death. She walks through the walled garden, terrified. Death is symbolized by the skulls strewn on the ground around her and near the dilapidated garden gate. At the right, mourning phantom-like figures support the fountain of tears.
