De wereld 1745

This etching, "De Wereld," by Jeremias Gottlob Rugendas, likely created in the mid-18th century, presents a world allegorically teeming with life and death. The eye is immediately drawn to the central figures, which include a cloaked figure holding a scythe and an old man holding a lantern, seemingly emerging from a cracked globe. The composition is organized as a series of symbolic representations that ask to be decoded. Diogenes' presence—alluding to philosophical inquiry—combined with the grim reaper suggests an exploration of mortality. The lantern, a classical symbol of enlightenment, juxtaposes with the surrounding shadows, creating a tension between knowledge and ignorance. Rugendas uses this contrast to probe the human condition through the symbolic forms of the figures. Note how the dense, ornamental frame contrasts with the central figures, creating a tension between the ornate and the essential. This formal strategy underscores the artwork's larger philosophical aims, questioning values and categories.