Self-portrait as St John the Baptist, Carel Willink, 1937 - 1938
Willink’s lean body and the bare landscape give this painting an ominous atmosphere. On the eve of the Second World War (1939–1945), Willink portrayed himself as John the Baptist, the prophet who preached virtue and justice and saw baptism as the salvation from all sins. With this introspective self-portrait, Willink seems to want to ward off the menace and turmoil of the times.