Twee meisjes met een pop 1824

This small engraving of two young girls with a doll was created by Willem van Senus. Observe the doll, a recurring motif across cultures, acting as a locus for a child’s formative experiences. As stand-ins for human infants, these dolls evoke a sense of nurturance, protection and affection. Yet, consider the doll's origins in ancient rituals. Far from mere toys, such figures were initially votive offerings, surrogates in religious rites, connecting us to primordial fears and hopes. The seemingly innocent gesture of a child cradling a doll is fraught with historical echoes—from the sacred effigies of antiquity to our modern-day companions. This cyclical progression reveals the enduring power of symbols, transforming and adapting through time and human consciousness.