Frans Martin Claerhout (South African, 1919-2006) Bread
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Notes : The needs of Father Claerhout's people were simple, such as the most essential foodstuffs and fuel, a few rags of clothing and blankets to protect against the bitterly cold Free State winters. Bread was a vital part of the fight for survival and as a state controlled commodity, through the supply of 'government bread', it became an almost totemic symbol of this struggle.For Claerhout, as a priest, the depiction of a man holding bread has a greater than normal significance. The above visual reference to one of the sacraments of Holy Communion would have had a strong resonance with his faith and vocation.
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