Elisa helpt een arme weduwe / Elisa wekt de zoon van de vrouw uit Sunem op uit de dood 1716 - 1791

Pieter Tanjé created this print, "Elisa helpt een arme weduwe," sometime in the 18th century. It shows two scenes from the Old Testament, each rich with enduring symbols. In the lower panel, we see Elisha, with hands outstretched over a lifeless child. The gesture of healing touches a primal fear and hope. Think back to ancient Greece, where Asclepius, the god of medicine, was also depicted with healing hands, a motif of divine intervention. Across cultures, this reaching out signifies not just physical restoration but a deeper spiritual renewal. Consider how such imagery, laden with the pathos of loss and the yearning for redemption, surfaces repeatedly, adapted to new contexts yet still resonating with the same fundamental human emotions. It speaks to our collective memory, a visual language of hope that transcends time.