Schepping van Adam 1696 - 1721

This engraving by Jan Baptist Berterham depicts the creation of Adam, teeming with symbols of divine power and the natural world. We see God reaching out, mirroring Adam's pose—a gesture echoing through art history, most famously in Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Here, however, the world is already populated with a variety of creatures. Consider the animals. Each symbolizes aspects of earthly existence: the lion for strength, the birds for freedom, the unicorn for purity. This assembly mirrors ancient bestiaries, where animals embody human characteristics and moral lessons. In earlier Mesopotamian art, similar animal groupings signified cosmic order and divine dominion. The act of creation, the divine spark, isn't merely a moment but an ongoing process. The image invites us to reflect on how these ancient symbols persist, shape our understanding, and tap into our collective unconscious. The power of images lies not just in what they show but in how they resonate across time, resurfacing and evolving in the human psyche.