A graphite drawing of a soldier kneeling at the edge of a pond in a ruined landscape, reaching toward water nymphs emerging from the water amid war‑torn debris and a distant tank.

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A graphite drawing in a black frame, showing a soldier kneeling beside a pond in a ruined landscape, reaching toward water nymphs emerging from the water amid debris and a destroyed tank.
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Hylas – 05-05-26

Remembrance of the Dead

This graphite pencil drawing ‘Hylas – 05-05-26’ is a new addition to my ‘Slava Ukraini’ series. Based on the ancien Greek myth of ‘The Argonauts’. May 4h 2026: Remembrance of the Dead Day here in The Netherlands. Monday is a special day for me because I give two art classes. I usually get up very early so I have plenty of time to begin my weekly drawing before the first students arrive. Obviously, this day for the dutch is special and we remember all casualties of war. After the war initially those were the victims of World War II. Later, all casualties were included so a new generation can relate to this 80th year old event.

Waterhouse

Then I decided to draw this for today, something I had prepared during the weekend. Perhaps I wanted to tweak the motif a bit more but then I thought, why not do that as I go. See what the theme might bring me on a level of new ideas. The basic idea was to create a new version of Hylas and the Nymphs by pre-raphaealite John William Waterhouse. Not the first painting ever made on the theme but surely the best I have seen. The eyes of the nymphs keep on haunting me every time I dare to take a peak at it. Well now, my artistic story is a figurative one. As to this I consider myself not to be a part of the contemporary art discourse. Nobody seems to have a keen interest in narrative or symbols.

Gaining the Upper Hand

However, I’m different and like to tell the tale like so many other artists have done before. Therefor I’m off the hook and basically can do whatever I want to paint and sketch. Why not pay tribute to Waterhouse for that matter like I have done before with artists I admire? Schiedam – 08-04-26 was my last drawing that had a bit of a narrative. Time for some new storytelling. What the story represents seems obvious to me, so I’m not going to tell much about it. All I can say is that we’re more than 4 years into the war now. Ukraine is gaining the upper hand and to me, as an ex-lawyer of international law this pleases me most. Eventually good triumphs over evil. May slaughtered women, drifting in ponds as new Rusalka’s, have their sweet revenge!

Graphite pencil (Tombow Zoom 707, 0.5 mm, Pentel 4B) drawing on Clairfontaine Lavis paper (29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm)

Artist: Corné Akkers

Sales info: info@corneakkers.com

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