Allegorie op de liefde van de mens voor God 1696 - 1721

This is an Allegory on the Love of Man for God by Jan Baptist Berterham, an engraving on paper. The composition is divided into distinct registers. Below, we see a depiction of Adam and God amidst an earthly paradise, rendered with detailed, almost scientific precision in its depiction of natural forms. Above, a contrasting scene unfolds, filled with ethereal figures and symbolic elements, where a geometric triangle radiates divine light. The juxtaposition of the earthly and the divine, framed within the stark lines of the engraving, creates a visual tension that invites semiotic interpretation. The animals and figures below are naturalistically presented, yet they are arranged to convey symbolic meanings about humanity’s relationship with the divine. The choice of engraving as a medium, with its stark contrasts and precise lines, reinforces the duality present in the subject matter. This artwork, in its formal structure, compels us to reflect on the dialectic between the material and the spiritual.