Insteekalbum met foto's van de familie van den Berg in Huis ter Heide Possibly 1909

This photo album cover by Hendrik Herman van den Berg, made around 1909, features a stylized rose design. The rose, an age-old symbol of love and beauty, appears here with thorns, a subtle reminder of the pain that often accompanies love. The rose motif has roots stretching back to ancient Greece and Rome, where it was associated with goddesses of love. Yet, its presence in Christian iconography is also powerful, representing the Virgin Mary. Over time, the rose has resurfaced in various artistic movements, each era reshaping its meaning. Here, the thorns serve as a poignant detail, a subtle invocation of the bittersweet nature of memory itself. Just as the thorns protect the rose, they prick us with the knowledge that beauty and happiness are often fleeting, their memory tinged with the pain of what has passed. This is a visual encoding of collective memory, a shared understanding of love's dual nature, engaging us on a subconscious level. Thus, the rose, in its cyclical journey, is both a timeless emblem and a deeply personal symbol, echoing through history and blossoming in our own hearts.