Allegorie op de naastenliefde 1730 - 1803

This allegory of charity was created by Johann Christian Gottfried Fritzsch. At the heart of this image, the figure of "Caritas," embodies love and selflessness, surrounded by children, a symbol of fertility, nurture, and divine love. This scene echoes the ancient Roman depiction of "Caritas," often represented as a woman breastfeeding multiple infants. The iconography is designed to provoke feelings of compassion and communal responsibility in the viewer. This motif, with its roots stretching back to antiquity, resurfaces throughout the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Consider, for instance, its echoes in images of the Virgin Mary nursing the infant Jesus – a powerful expression of maternal love and sacrifice. Reflect on the deep, subconscious connection we humans have with the act of nurturing, as it stirs profound emotional responses and collective memories of safety, care, and belonging. This image is not merely a historical artifact, but a living symbol that continues to resonate, reminding us of the enduring human capacity for love, sacrifice, and the cyclical nature of cultural memory.