The Apostles looking at Christ and the Virgin in a Glory of Angels (top left plate) 1546

Léon Davent created this engraving, "The Apostles looking at Christ and the Virgin in a Glory of Angels," around 1550. The Virgin Mary is central, surrounded by hosts of angels, a visual representation of divine glory, with the apostles below looking upwards. The motif of ascending to heaven has ancient roots. Consider the Roman emperors depicted rising to the heavens on eagles, an emblem of triumph and immortality. Mary's ascension is an echo of earlier beliefs, reformed through Christian doctrine. Yet, what resonates deeply here is the emotional current of hope and redemption. This visual language isn't fixed, but fluid, adapted across centuries. The putti, cherubic figures surrounding Mary, are descendants of Cupid, the Roman god of love. Here, they’re reborn as symbols of divine love. The artist draws upon a shared memory, a collective understanding of these forms, and in turn, reinvents them. They’re a cultural echo, a reminder of how we continually rework the past in the present.