Liefde (Caritas) 1655 - 1727

Giuseppe Maria Roli created this work, "Liefde (Caritas)," as an etching. Notice the graphic precision defining the textures of skin and cloud. The image presents a classical figure of Caritas—or Love—embracing children, all framed within a decorative border. Roli’s composition is a study in contrasts. Linear precision defines the figures, drapery, and frame, while the soft hatching creates volume and tonal depth, particularly in the rendering of the clouds. The classical motif is structured by a semiotic system. The maternal figure embodies “Caritas,” the children stand for innocence and vulnerability, and the decorative frame invokes a sense of Renaissance idealism. Roli destabilizes established meanings by juxtaposing the tactile reality of etching with idealized forms. The artist compels us to reconsider art’s capacity to signify, to challenge fixed meanings.