Visioen van de maagd Maria met Christuskind 1622

Cornelis Galle I created this engraving, "Vision of the Virgin Mary with Christ Child," a scene brimming with devotional symbolism. The Virgin, holding the Christ Child, appears amidst a heavenly host of cherubic figures, while Saint Norbert kneels below, bathed in divine light. The motif of the Virgin and Child, an icon of maternal love and spiritual grace, has roots stretching back to antiquity. Consider the ancient Roman depictions of the goddess Isis nursing her son Horus—a visual parallel that speaks to our enduring fascination with the nurturing mother figure. The halo, here encircling the heads of the holy figures, similarly echoes the solar disks of ancient sun gods, adapted over time to signify divine aura. Norbert's raised hands, a gesture of supplication, reflect a primal human response to the divine, found across cultures and eras. The emotional intensity captured in his upward gaze speaks to the power of faith, engaging viewers on a subconscious level. These symbols, like potent seeds, have been carried across the landscape of history, resurfacing and evolving.