Vuurbok met vaas met putti 1772 - 1779

This drawing by Jean Pelletier shows a design for a fire dog with a vase, rendered with delicate lines. The most striking feature is the vase adorned with putti, cherubic figures embodying innocence and love, symbols that stretch back to classical antiquity and reappear during the Renaissance. Vases have long been associated with funerary contexts and were used by the Greeks as grave markers, decorated with scenes from everyday life and mythology. These were not just objects; they were vessels of memory. Notice the mask beneath the vase; it evokes the grotesque masks used in ancient theaters to amplify emotion. Here, this motif reflects a fascination with classical forms, embodying both beauty and an underlying tension. This echoes a primal fascination with confronting mortality and transformation. The symbols remind us that human experiences are eternally present, as the echoes of the past resonate in the present.