Heilige Familie in de timmermanswerkplaats 1670 - 1682

Melchior Küsel's "Holy Family in the Carpenter's Workshop" presents us with a seemingly simple domestic scene, yet it is rich with symbolism, reflecting the sacred within the everyday. We see Joseph at work, Mary nearby with the infant Jesus, and the tools of carpentry strewn about. These tools are not merely objects of craft. They become symbols of Christ's future sacrifice. The saw, the hammer, the wood—each echoes the instruments of the Passion. One can trace the symbolism of carpentry back to early Christian art, where the cross itself is often depicted as being hewn from wood, the very material that gives life also takes it away. Consider how such symbols evolve. In earlier times, the carpenter's tools might have represented earthly labor alone. Yet, through the collective memory of faith, they are imbued with a profound sense of destiny. The emotional weight of this image rests in its ability to portray the Holy Family as both divine and intimately human, living amidst signs that foreshadow Christ’s ultimate fate. This cyclical progression, a constant return to foundational myths, defines our understanding of these sacred motifs.