Kapellen / Tweede plaat. Nachtkapellen c. 1843 - 1920

Ernst Fröhlich created this chromolithograph titled "Kapellen / Tweede plaat. Nachtkapellen" or "Moths / Second plate. Night moths" sometime between 1810 and 1882. These nocturnal moths, with their intricate wing patterns, are potent symbols of transformation. The moth, often seen as the nocturnal counterpart to the butterfly, carries a rich tapestry of meanings across cultures. In some traditions, it represents the soul, flitting between worlds. Consider how the ancient Greeks associated Psyche, the soul, with butterfly wings, an idea mirrored in the moth's delicate form. In contrast, other cultures link the moth to death and the underworld, a harbinger of change and the ephemeral nature of life. The moth's attraction to light is a powerful metaphor in art and literature, symbolizing a yearning for truth or a fatal attraction to the unattainable. This image speaks to our primal fascination with the delicate balance between light and darkness, life and death, a recurring theme echoing through the corridors of human experience and imagination.