Verkoopsters van aardbeien voor de etalage van uitgever Samuel W Fores te Londen 1810 - 1816

George Cruikshank crafted this print, “Verkoopsters van aardbeien voor de etalage van uitgever Samuel W Fores te Londen”, as an etching. The strawberry, ripe and red, appears here as a symbol of fleeting pleasure and commerce. Consider its echoes through time: from the medieval allegories where it signified righteousness and perfection, to its more sensual associations in Renaissance paintings, often linked with Venus, the goddess of love. Here, in London, it’s hawked at the shopfront. Observe how the strawberry motif reappears and transforms across history and art, reflecting evolving societal values and desires. Just as the strawberry sellers in Cruikshank’s London engage passersby, these symbols have the power to stir deep, subconscious associations within us. Ultimately, the strawberry reminds us of how cultural symbols perpetually resurface, adapt, and acquire new meanings, connecting our present with the echoes of the past.