Dimensions: height 212 mm, width 143 mm
Copyright: Rijks Museum: Open Domain
This engraving, "Banketbakker," was crafted by Abraham Bosse in the 17th century and resides in the Rijksmuseum. The scene depicts a pastry seller offering his wares, yet it is the act of consumption itself, the eager swallowing of pastries, that carries a rich, if troubling, symbolic weight. Consider how eating appears in countless artistic renderings throughout time. From religious art, where bread embodies spiritual sustenance, to classical paintings, which show the act of eating as celebration or as a commentary on earthly desires. Here, the act is less refined, almost bestial; a transaction of immediate gratification. Such displays, like those captured here, echo through the ages, resurfacing in various guises. One cannot help but wonder if this reflects a darker, more primal aspect of our collective psyche.
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