Stadsgezicht met de Domkerk te Utrecht en een allegorie met Minerva en deugden 1724 - 1769

This print by Noach van der Meer, made around the mid-18th century, presents us with a city view of Utrecht framed by allegorical figures. The dominant Minerva, goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, stands guard, spear in hand. Justice is on the other side, holding scales, an emblem echoing through time from ancient Egyptian depictions of souls being weighed to its modern use in legal contexts. Above, an all-seeing eye radiates light, a symbol laden with religious and philosophical weight, suggestive of divine providence and enlightenment. Consider the eye: It appears in ancient Egyptian art as the Eye of Horus, a symbol of protection, royal power, and good health. Much later it emerges during the Renaissance, finding its place within the iconography of emerging secret societies. This symbol, transcends cultures and epochs. It evolves in meaning and application, yet remains a potent symbol in our collective consciousness. We are continually drawn back to these primordial images. These symbols remind us that human expression and the search for meaning are timeless pursuits.