Vrouw in profiel naar rechts en het hoofd van een slapende man 1620 - 1664

Stefano della Bella created this drawing, "Vrouw in profiel naar rechts en het hoofd van een slapende man," a study of two heads, with ink, sometime in the 17th century. Here, we see a woman in profile wearing a head covering, which indicates modesty and piety, a symbol prevalent during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Beside her, a man sleeps, his head slightly bowed. Sleep, as a symbol, often represents vulnerability, the subconscious, or even death. The motif of the sleeping figure has appeared throughout art history, from the slumbering Endymion gazed upon by Selene in classical myth to the representations of sleep as a metaphor for spiritual or physical rest. Consider how, in later centuries, the symbol of sleep evolved, often carrying connotations of escapism or psychological retreat, reflecting changing cultural attitudes. This drawing, in its quiet simplicity, captures a timeless interplay of consciousness and unconsciousness. The emotional depth lies in the silent contrast between the alert woman and the vulnerable sleeping man, engaging our subconscious with the universal themes of vigilance and surrender. Such symbols are not fixed; they ebb and flow through history, resurfacing in altered forms, continually shaped by the tides of human experience.