Ornament met cherubijn 1683 - 1733

Editor: This engraving, “Ornament met cherubijn,” attributed to Bernard Picart and dated between 1683 and 1733, features these curious figures framing a central cherubic head. What strikes me is its symmetry and potential as a repeating design. What do you make of it? Curator: Symmetry, yes, but also the power of established symbols, like cherubs. These figures act as visual anchors, holding onto associations of divinity and innocence, a cultural memory extending far before Picart's time and adapted in popular baroque period decoration. It makes me think – do the flanking figures remind you of anything else? Editor: They remind me a bit of mermen. Holding ribbons that fall from the central angel, but with fin-like appendages instead of legs. Curator: Precisely! A fascinating hybrid of the sacred and the classical. This melding points to the period's fascination with transforming pagan elements into Christian iconography, where symbols took on new layers of meaning, shaping identity, even destiny. What feeling does that generate for you? Editor: An odd feeling of playful seriousness, I suppose. The craftsmanship is obviously refined, but the imagery is wonderfully strange. It suggests something of the mindset of the era... Curator: Yes, there is an interesting visual code embedded in it, playing on accepted meanings and inviting the viewer into a particular cultural understanding of symbolism. It makes you think how symbols evolve but maintain an emotional grip. Editor: It definitely highlights the power of combining symbols, playing with expectations and history to generate meaning. Curator: Indeed. Cultural memory is like that ornament itself – carefully, playfully constructed from established elements and still, centuries later, capable of generating curiosity and understanding.