Epitaph for the Ros Family with the Seat of Mercy c. 1550

Carved in stone around 1570, this epitaph by Arnt van Tricht presents the Virgin Mary sheltering the dead Christ with her mantle, a traditional image of the Seat of Mercy. The iconography here resonates deeply with earlier depictions of compassion and protection, such as the Egyptian goddess Isis sheltering Osiris, linking maternal care across millennia. The Virgin's protective gesture, like Isis's, evokes a primal longing for safety and solace, reflecting a deep-seated human need to find refuge in the face of mortality. The dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit, descends, connecting divine grace with human suffering. This image of Mary repeats itself throughout the centuries, evolving through the Mantle Madonna. The cyclical return of these symbols speaks to our collective memory, with art acting as a conduit, linking past emotions to present experiences.