Tine Kleiterp-Vermeulen en haar kinderen Klaas en Tiny op een grasveld in Madje op Celebes 1922 - 1923

Klaas Kleiterp, in this undated photograph, captures his wife Tine Kleiterp-Vermeulen with their children, Klaas and Tiny, on a lawn in Madje, Celebes. The grouping of mother and children immediately brings to mind the ubiquitous Madonna and Child motif. This image is anchored by an interesting object, a handmade paper toy placed next to the child, which immediately calls to mind the sacrificial lamb. This brings us to a crucial question: What does the presence of these motifs convey? Throughout history, the image of the mother and child has been used to explore themes of protection and innocence, often imbued with a spiritual dimension. The handmade paper toy is reminiscent of pagan sacrifices and the need for propitiation. One is reminded that even the most mundane or domestic scenes are ripe with echoes of humanity’s most profound, enduring concerns. We carry within us an archive of symbols. Indeed, these figures and forms never truly vanish, as they resurface in unexpected guises, forever entwined with our collective psyche.