Kind zittend op wereldbol kijkt naar engel op sterrenglobe 1590 - 1624

Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert made this engraving, "Child sitting on globe looking at angel on star globe," at an unknown date. The image presents us with some intriguing questions about the relationship between the earthly and the divine, and the place of humanity in the cosmos. The image creates meaning through visual codes that would have been familiar to a 17th-century European audience. Here we see a child sitting on a globe representing the earth, looking up at an angel contained within a star-filled globe, with the Latin inscription quoting Psalm 72: "What do I have in heaven except you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you." The Dutch Republic, where Bolswert worked, was a major center for cartography at this time. This engraving reflects a culture deeply engaged with both scientific exploration and religious faith. To understand this image better, we might research the specific theological debates of the time and the scientific understanding of the cosmos. The meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.