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This sculpture is part of the art collection of the insurance company Aegon. Since the company’s headquarters have moved to Utrecht, the works are no longer on display in The Hague.

Mysterious and yet somewhat hesitant, he stands there—a bronze figure, taller than a man, with no arms. He seems to be gazing thoughtfully at the stone lying a few meters away from him. Is he just staring at it thoughtlessly, or is there more to it? Could he be wondering how much it weighs, how much strength it would take to lift it? We don’t know. Yet the figure, with its large head and delicately drawn face, inspires trust. He even exudes a sense of calm as he stands there with his large, streamlined body.

Henk Visch is the maker of this sculpture. In the 1980s he created a furore as a sculptor in our own country and abroad. Sometimes he made abstract sculptures, but mostly his work is figurative. Even though his figures are withdrawn into themselves, you can still identify with them. By (partly) painting his bronze sculptures, he avoids giving an overly classical impression. It even makes them contemporary.

With this work, Visch also manages to breathe new life into the old classical myth of Sisyphus. But unlike Sisyphus, who time and again pushed an enormous stone up a mountain, this figure seems to like it best when the stone remains in place for a while. The poetic and enigmatic title ('There is no song about it') completes the work of art. This is usual with Visch. Together with the image, the text creates an almost infinite stream of associations that the viewer can float at his leisure.

You can find Visch's sculptures in dozens of locations in public spaces throughout the Netherlands.