Twee kinderen musiceren met hun moeder 1830 - 1845

This print, made by Henricus Wilhelmus Couwenberg, depicts a mother playing music with her two children. The lute she holds becomes a symbol of harmony and cultured domesticity, reflecting the values of the Biedermeier era in which it was made. The lute connects us back to the Renaissance and even further to ancient traditions where music was a powerful symbol of order and civilization. Think of Apollo, the Greek god of music and poetry, often depicted with a lyre. The act of making music with family can be seen as a symbol of social harmony, that carries the weight of cultural memory through generations, reflecting a longing for simpler, more connected times, even as society continues to transform around it. This scene evokes a sense of idealized family life, a powerful force that continues to resonate, resurface and evolve through time.