Wandkandelaar met dolfijnen en gevleugelde figuren 1714

This print shows a wall bracket, or “Wandkandelaar” as the Dutch call it. Maximilian Joseph Limpach rendered it with etching. Notice the dolphins. In antiquity, these creatures were often seen as escorts of souls to the afterlife, symbols of safe passage, and harbingers of renewal. Winged figures carrying candles populate this print as well, echoing the dolphin’s symbolism as beacons of hope. We can trace the dolphin's symbolism back through centuries of art and mythology, from ancient Greek pottery to Renaissance fountains, where dolphins spout water, symbolizing purification. Its persistent recurrence speaks to a collective human yearning for guidance and transformation. This powerful image, imbued with layers of subconscious meaning, invites us to reflect on the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth, reminding us that symbols, like the dolphin, evolve and resurface, echoing through the corridors of time.