The Lavie Children c. 1770

This is Johann Zoffany's painting of "The Lavie Children." At its heart is the symbol of play, embodied by the seesaw. This is not mere child's play, but rather a metaphor for the delicate balance of life itself. The seesaw – a simple lever – brings to mind the scales of justice, a motif found in ancient Egyptian art depicting the weighing of the heart against the feather of Maat. Just as in the "Book of the Dead", here too, we confront the balance between earthly pleasures and the weight of existence. The boy triumphantly raising his hat evokes images of Fortuna, the Roman goddess of fortune, whose capricious nature is reflected in the seesaw's precarious equilibrium. Notice, how the uncontained, unbridled joy of the children, is a primal expression of the human spirit – a Dionysian celebration of life's fleeting moments. The image captures a cyclical rhythm of exuberance and uncertainty. The artist reminds us that life, much like the seesaw, is in constant flux. We see the echoes of past joys, and the anticipation of future delights.