Geboorte van Christus 1719 - 1727

This etching of the Birth of Christ was made by Johann Christoph Steinberger. Note the babe radiating light, symbolizing the divine entering the earthly realm. This motif of divine light appears across cultures, from the halos in Byzantine mosaics to the auras surrounding figures in Renaissance paintings. Consider how light emanating from a central figure conveys a sense of the sacred and the miraculous. The kneeling figures express reverence, a gesture echoed in countless religious traditions. The act of kneeling, surrendering one’s posture, becomes a physical manifestation of humility and devotion. The Christ child as a source of luminescence is not just a visual element; it is a psycho-spiritual symbol, tapping into our collective unconscious. The image speaks to the yearning for the transcendent, for hope emerging from darkness, a theme that resurfaces again and again in art, myth, and religious belief. The symbol is non-linear and cyclical, and it has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.