Putti brengen offer aan de god Terminus 1753 - 1790

Giovanni David etched "Putti brengen offer aan de god Terminus," depicting cherubic figures making offerings to Terminus, the Roman god of boundaries. Here, the god is represented as a statue crowned with foliage, symbolizing nature's embrace of defined spaces. This motif of offering and boundary harkens back to ancient rituals, seen in votive offerings across various cultures, from the Greeks to the Etruscans. The putti, or cherubs, common in Renaissance and Baroque art, often evoke the classical Eros or Cupid, blending divine love with earthly boundaries. Consider how, in other contexts, these figures represent not just love but also mediation, linking the human and divine. The act of making offerings touches on primal human desires for security, order, and appeasement. This image, charged with its classical references, creates a visual echo through time, reminding us of the enduring human need to define and protect our spaces, both physical and metaphysical.