Fontein met wijn en dronkenschap, plaat [OO] 1530 - 1536

This is Nicolaas Hogenberg’s ‘Fountain with Wine and Drunkenness,’ a 16th-century engraving. The fountain stands as a symbol of abundance, offering wine freely to the masses. But consider the griffin atop the fountain; in antiquity, it guarded treasures and symbolized strength. Here, its presence hints at a tension: is the flowing wine a genuine gift or a guarded indulgence? The motif of the fountain has flowed through art history like a river, from ancient Roman mosaics to Renaissance paintings. Think of the Fountain of Youth—a recurring symbol of renewal and desire. Yet, the drunken figures remind me of the orgiastic festivals of antiquity. The psychological undercurrent here is potent. The intoxication, the loss of control, it's a primal release, yet also a descent into chaos. The fountain's symbolism is cyclical, its meaning shaped and reshaped by each era. It's a mirror reflecting our ever-evolving desires and fears.