Vier vazen met bloemen 1778

Etienne Claude Voysard created this image, "Four Vases with Flowers," with etching. Observe the vases, adorned with festoons of blooms. The vase itself, an ancient symbol, serves as a vessel—containing not water, but life itself in the form of flora. We can see here a classical influence, evoking images from ancient Greece and Rome, where vases were ubiquitous in both daily life and ritual. Consider the garland of flowers. The garland, a symbol of celebration, adornment, and honor, has its roots in antiquity, particularly in Roman culture. It reappears across centuries, from Botticelli’s ethereal paintings to the decorative arts of the Renaissance, and even in the funerary rites of ancient Egypt. Each context imbues the garland with slightly different nuances—joy, commemoration, respect for the deceased, and hope for renewal. The recurrence of these motifs speaks to a deep-seated human desire for beauty and order, continually resurrecting across time.