Wonderbaarlijke vermenigvuldiging van broden en vissen door Christus 1590 - 1622

Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert rendered this engraving of the miraculous feeding of the five thousand without a date. At its heart, the haloed Christ is shown blessing bread and fish, symbols of spiritual and physical sustenance. This iconography stems from early Christian art, where meals signified divine communion and nourishment. Observe the positioning of Christ and the food, mirrored in earlier depictions of sacrificial offerings. This act of providing parallels similar motifs across cultures where food is used to connect humanity to the divine. Think of the Last Supper, where the sharing of bread and wine becomes a cornerstone of Christian liturgy. The image engages our subconscious understanding of sacrifice, abundance, and divine intervention, stirring deep emotional responses tied to our primal needs and spiritual longings. The visual echoes across time highlight our enduring need for symbols that represent hope and community. They remind us that symbols evolve, yet still carry echoes of their original power.