Traité du Jardinage selon les Raisons de la Nature et de l'Art 1638

This engraving from 1638, the title page of Michel van Lochom’s "Treatise on Gardening," presents us with a rich tapestry of symbols. The dominant bull's head, draped with garlands, immediately evokes the ancient world, particularly sacrificial rites and fertility cults. We observe this motif echoed through time. Bulls' heads were found in Minoan Crete, sites for ritual sacrifice to deities, resurfacing later in Roman villas to denote wealth and prosperity. Here, in this treatise on gardening, the bull’s head signifies the taming of nature through art. Note the juxtaposition with figures crowning each other with wreaths, hinting at cycles of death and rebirth, also recurring through history. These symbols engage us on a profound, almost subconscious level. The image acts as a powerful emotional force, reminding us of humanity's enduring connection to the natural world and the cyclical nature of life. The bull’s head, far from being a static emblem, reveals a story, evolving and taking on new meanings, a testament to the continuous dialogue between our present and the echoes of our past.