Man met kaars kietelt een slapende vrouw 1747 - 1767

This engraving by J. Dillhoff depicts a man with a candle, mischievously attempting to wake a sleeping woman. The candle, our central motif, transcends mere illumination, carrying a rich symbolic weight. The candle's flame, often associated with knowledge and enlightenment, here takes on a subversive role. We see echoes of this in earlier depictions of temptation, where light is used to lure figures into forbidden territory. Think of Eve and the serpent, with the apple presented as a source of illuminating knowledge, a parallel to the candle's allure here. But Dillhoff adds a twist. The potential for enlightenment is weaponized into a playful disturbance. This act, laden with erotic undertones, is an interplay between light and darkness, sleep and wakefulness, innocence and experience. The smirk on the man's face hints at the psychological undercurrents, reflecting a primal urge to disrupt the quietude, awakening not just the woman, but also our own dormant desires. It is a testament to how symbols evolve, adapting to societal norms while retaining a flicker of their primordial power.