Twee voorstellingen uit de Novellen van Vargas 1792

These twin prints by Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki present scenes rich in symbolism, drawn from Vargas's novellas. On the left, we observe lovers entwined beneath a celestial visitation. The cave, often a symbol of mystery and transformation, becomes a refuge for their embrace. A parallel can be drawn to the Renaissance paintings of the Madonna in the grotto, suggesting a sacred element to their union. On the right, in a scene of domestic drama, a man rises from his bed with dagger in hand, his startled wife recoiling. This scene of nightmarish terror echoes the anxieties found in ancient Greek tragedies, where the bedroom often became a stage for betrayal and violence. The bed itself is a powerful motif, recurring in art across cultures and ages, from the sensuous reclining figures of Titian to the stark, psychological landscapes of Edvard Munch, where the bed represents both sanctuary and vulnerability. The cyclical nature of such symbols reveals how deeply rooted they are in our collective psyche, resurfacing and re-interpreted across time.