Landskab med allegoriske figurer 1671 - 1738

Hendrik Krock rendered this allegorical landscape with chalk. Notice the chariot in the upper central part of the image, likely that of Apollo, god of the sun, music, and knowledge. Apollo’s presence points to enlightenment and reason. See how the figures around the base of the image are intertwined? This alludes to the continuous cycle of life, death, and rebirth. The reclining figures remind us of the classical motif of the ‘sleeping Ariadne,’ a symbol of awakening and transformation, as she was found by Dionysus on the island of Naxos after being abandoned. This motif has evolved over time, appearing in various forms in both classical and later Renaissance art. There is a psychological element at play here. The dreamlike quality of the scene, the sense of longing and nostalgia that arises when confronted with such symbols, invites us to engage with these archetypes on a subconscious level. This symbolic language has a non-linear progression, resurfacing and evolving across history.