The Madonna with the Clock c. 1490

Israhel van Meckenem created this copper engraving, "The Madonna with the Clock," around 1480-1503, presenting us with a scene rich in symbolic meaning. We see the Virgin Mary, crowned and holding the Christ Child, flanked by an angel and a praying figure, all encircled by an inscription. Dominating the foreground is the clock, a novel inclusion in Marian imagery at the time. Clocks, since antiquity, have been associated with mortality and the passage of time. Yet here, it also suggests the Virgin's role as an intercessor, marking time for prayers, and drawing parallels with the rosary, a relatively new form of devotion at the time. The image evokes, consciously or subconsciously, earlier depictions of Fortuna with her wheel—a symbol that resurfaces repeatedly in the history of ideas. See how the wheel is replaced by the clock, reminding us that time brings change and the cyclical nature of existence. Notice how, despite its Christian context, this image carries echoes of the past, demonstrating the continuous transformation and adaptation of symbols across cultures and eras. The collective memory of the wheel lingers, subtly altering our perception of the clock and, indeed, our understanding of Mary herself.