Kind wordt in voet gebeten door slang 1705

Jacob de Wit made this wash drawing of a child being bitten in the foot by a snake in the first half of the 18th century. The image is an allegory, a way of working through ideas about innocence, danger, and the loss of paradise. De Wit made his career producing decorative schemes for wealthy patrons. These idealized scenes drew on classical and biblical imagery. At the time, the Dutch Republic was a major economic power, but the gap between rich and poor was widening. While De Wit made his living celebrating wealth, allegorical drawings like this provided a space to reflect on social anxieties. Art historians examine these images alongside literature, political pamphlets, and economic data to understand the complex dynamics of Dutch society at the time. By bringing these different sources together, we can gain a richer appreciation of the artwork.