Wonderlijke uitvinding van een mortier waarmee soldaten in een bol door de lucht geschoten kunnen worden, 1686 1686

This 1686 engraving, made by an anonymous artist, depicts a new and wondrous invention: a copper mortar capable of launching soldiers through the air in a ball. The dominant symbol here is the sphere, carrying within it a man, propelled by explosive force. This recalls the ancient motif of the orb, often a symbol of cosmic unity or divine power, yet here it’s repurposed for the theater of war. We might see echoes of the celestial spheres of classical cosmology, now twisted into an instrument of human conflict. Consider how this image plays on our collective memory. The orb, historically associated with royalty and the heavens, is now a vessel of destruction. This juxtaposition triggers a deep, subconscious unease. It's a potent reminder of how symbols evolve, their meanings twisted and refigured across time. The emotional impact of this image lies in the tension between the familiar and the perverse, between the sacred and the profane. It speaks to the cyclical progression of symbols, forever resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings in different historical contexts.