Le juste, comme le bois de santal, 1926

This is an original etching and aquatint by French artist Georges Rouault.  This image from his Miserere Series is titled:     Plate 46: "Le juste, comme le bois de santal, parfume la hache qui le frappe" / The just, like sandalwood, perfume the ax that strikes them (C&R 99e). Original etching, aquatint, roulette, drypoint, burnishing, 1926. 450 impressions for the Miserere. Signed and dated 1926 bottom right. Rouault returns to the perspective offered by the titlepage to the Guerre section of the Miserere. Under the gaze of the face of Jesus on Veroica's veil presiding over the group carrying the dead body—a mother, child, and a winged angel at right—death is transformed from horror to sanctification. The dead man, no longer a skeleton, but a figure whose face and upper body are illuminated by light, is still loved even in death. There are no pencil-signed proofs. Image size:  23X16 1/2 inches.  Watermark  "Vollard, Arches"