Vader bevrijd door zijn zoon 1778 - 1785

This engraving, made by Noach van der Meer II, captures a powerful reunion, titled "Father Freed by his Son." The central motif, the embrace, speaks volumes. Here, it is an exchange, a transfer of strength, a symbolic inversion of roles as the son pulls his father from darkness. This embrace echoes across centuries. Think of the Pietà, where Mary cradles the lifeless body of Christ – a similar merging of pain and love. But here, life is breathed back. The son's assertive gesture, pulling his father, contrasts sharply with the father's seated, despondent posture. The figures’ connection is a primal scene, charged with emotion that transcends the immediate narrative. It's a reminder of how these basic human interactions – rescue, love, and filial duty – recur throughout our cultural memory, each time colored by the specific historical and personal context.