Zittende vrouw c. 1904 - 1906

Karel de Nerée tot Babberich created this evocative piece, "Zittende Vrouw," using ink and chalk. Observe the flower motif at the centre of the woman’s form, a symbol of fertility, life, and beauty. This echoes the ancient floral adornments of Botticelli’s Venus, yet here it is intertwined with the female form itself. Across millennia, this imagery persists, revealing the flower's powerful subconscious link to femininity. The dramatic contrast of light and shadow speaks to the depths of human emotion. The starkness reminds us of the Baroque period, where similar techniques intensified the scene's emotional impact. It seems to draw on our collective memory, tapping into the primal fears and desires related to the female form. This continuous symbolic evolution, from antiquity to the present, reveals how cultural memory shapes and reshapes our perception of the world.