E16 – The baptism

“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  (Matthew III, 16 – 17)

In this engraving we clearly see a dry river that borders the estate of Delhez’s friend Edgard Ernalsteen. This river is dry when it doesn’t rain, but when it rains the river turns into a terrible torrent. To the right of the engraving we see the primitive brickyard of Ernalsteen. Delhez has situated the circumcision there, because the baptism that represents the pruning of sins (on the left is an orchard with a pruner) is the subsequent result of the circumcision.

This work was made in Cocaraya (Bolivia) between the 10th of August and the 24th of November 1934.