Kind vindt engel met lantaarn in het donker 1590 - 1624

Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert created this small engraving, "Child finds angel with lantern in the dark". An angel, holding a lantern, leads a child through the night, evoking themes of guidance, hope, and vulnerability. Consider the recurring motif of light in darkness, a universal symbol found across cultures. Think of classical antiquity, where Eros and Psyche's relationship was jeopardized when she illuminated him in the dark, or ancient mystery religions, where torch-bearing figures guided initiates through the underworld. Here, the lantern carried by the angel is not merely a source of physical light. It represents spiritual illumination, hope, and divine guidance in times of uncertainty. Observe the child's hesitant gesture towards the angel. This hesitancy speaks to a universal human experience – the ambivalence towards the unknown, a yearning for reassurance in the face of life's dark passages. This image resonates because it taps into our collective memory, engaging viewers on a profound, subconscious level. The symbol of light as guidance persists, evolving through different eras and contexts.