Huilend kind 1768 - 1796

This small etching, made by Pieter de Mare around the late 18th century, captures a child in distress. The image’s starkness draws our attention to the universal symbol of grief embodied in the child’s downturned mouth, furrowed brow, and the clutching of a cloth as if seeking comfort. This simple expression of sorrow echoes through time. Consider the Weeping Woman, a motif found in ancient Greek funerary art, their faces contorted in anguish. We also see it in the medieval depictions of Mary mourning the death of Christ. Here, the emotional language remains potent. This archetype resonates with our own experiences. The raw emotion bypasses our conscious understanding, stirring something deep within our collective memory. Though the outward forms shift, the underlying emotional current remains, resurfacing in new contexts and reminding us of the enduring power of human emotion.