Madonna With Christ Child And Putti 

Hans Zatzka painted this Madonna and Child with Putti, rendering a timeless theme in delicate strokes. The Madonna, cradling the Christ Child, is haloed not only by light but by tradition. The motif of the Madonna and Child stretches back into antiquity, echoing the Egyptian Isis and Horus. Here, the putti – those chubby cherubs floating above – are visual descendants of pagan cupids, transformed over centuries into symbols of divine love. This transformation shows how symbols evolve, their meanings shaped and reshaped by cultural and psychological forces. The tender embrace of the mother and child touches something primal within us, a collective memory of nurturing and protection. It's an image that persists, reappearing across cultures, each time resonating with our deepest feelings. The symbol is never truly new but rather an echo, a return, a 'Nachleben' of the antique, always transforming, always alive.