Portret van een meisje en baby 1881 - 1903

This photograph by Max Cosman captures two children with a striking formality. The way the children are posed, close together, echoes a motif seen across centuries, from Renaissance paintings of the Madonna and child to more recent family portraits. Consider how the act of portraying children together often carries a deeper symbolic weight. In earlier eras, this could represent innocence, purity, or the continuity of family lines, themes deeply embedded in our collective memory. Think of the visual echoes in other works: the protective gesture of a mother, here perhaps suggested by the older child's proximity to the baby, reminding us of countless depictions of maternal care. These images tap into primal emotions and subconscious associations. Even in a simple photograph, these archetypes linger. They reflect our enduring fascination with childhood and familial bonds, continuously resurfacing and adapting across art forms and eras.