Cartouche met kalligrafie, linksonder een kind met twee insecten 1569

This undated cartouche with calligraphy was created by Johannes or Lucas van Doetechum using engraving. The cherubic figure at the lower left, a putto, is adorned with classical motifs, harkening back to ancient Roman art. The putto, often associated with Cupid or Eros, symbolizes love, innocence, and the capricious nature of human desire. This motif reappears throughout Renaissance and Baroque art, often acting as allegorical figures in larger compositions. Think of Botticelli's "Birth of Venus," where putti guide Venus to shore. But the putto is not always just a symbol of love. In darker contexts, it can represent the fleeting nature of life, a memento mori, reminding us of our mortality. Here, holding insects, it evokes an infantile curiosity mixed with a darker subconscious understanding of fragility. This cyclical progression shows how symbols resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings throughout art history.