Engel met banderol boven landschap 1709

Bernard Picart created this drawing of an angel with a banderole above a landscape sometime between the late 17th and early 18th centuries. This was a time of significant religious and intellectual change in Europe as the aftershocks of the Reformation rippled across the continent. The angel, a figure of divine authority, hovers over a serene landscape, holding a scroll inscribed with 'Evangelium Aeternum,' or 'Eternal Gospel.' We might ask ourselves what this gospel truly means. Is it a message of hope, or perhaps a call to reflection in a rapidly changing world? Consider the landscapes depicted. How do they contrast with the ethereal figure of the angel? Does this suggest a divide between the earthly and the divine, or does the angel's presence imply integration? This piece invites us to reflect on the intersection between the celestial and the earthly, urging us to find meaning and connection in our own lives.