Antiek standbeeld van een vrouw 1677

This print by Etienne Baudet depicts an antique statue of a woman, likely a goddess, draped in classical robes. She holds objects in each hand: perhaps a flower or fruit in one, a symbol of fertility or abundance. Consider the gesture of her outstretched arm; it evokes the ancient concept of ‘actio,’ a mode of expression in rhetoric and theatre. We see similar gestures in depictions of ancient orators and even in religious art, like the hand gestures of blessing. But, this gesture is never static. Think of Bernini's Apollo and Daphne – the desperate reach towards freedom. The emotional power lies in the tension between the pose and the implied narrative. The statue reaches out, and we feel the pull of its story, the subconscious echoes of countless similar images across time. It's a dance of memory, a powerful psychological connection linking us to the past through symbolic forms.