Lourdes, 1977

About the Work

In 1976, Tübke visited Lourdes, a Marian pilgrimage site in France. The water from the natural spring there is believed to have healing powers. The experience later inspired the artist—who sympathized with outsiders to society all his life—to carry out this poignant drawing. The view slightly from below and the fairy-tale-like church towering up in the background lend the depiction of the pious sick man a monumental quality.