Sophie leest brieven 1777

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki created this print, now at the Rijksmuseum, depicting Sophie reading letters. Letters, as symbols, represent communication across distances, carrying intimacy, secrets, and pronouncements. Here, the act of reading embodies a private moment, a turning inward. Consider the image of Hermes, the messenger god, his winged sandals carrying words and fates. In medieval iconography, letters often signify divine messages, like Gabriel's annunciation to Mary. This motif of intimate correspondence resurfaces across time, evolving. In ancient Roman frescoes, we see similar scenes of women engrossed in scrolls, linking personal reflection with intellectual engagement. Perhaps, subconsciously, we are drawn to these images because they tap into our collective memory of longing and connection. The intensity of Sophie's focus engages us, stirring our own memories and emotions tied to the written word. Thus, these symbols never truly fade; they merely transform, echoing through history, each time with renewed emotional resonance.