Titelpagina voor: H.J. Soeteboom, De Zaanlants Arkadia, 1658 1658

This is the title page for H.J. Soeteboom’s “De Zaanlants Arkadia”, printed in Amsterdam in 1658 by Gerrit van Goedesberg. At the bottom, notice the printer’s ornament, a cluster of fruit and foliage. This seemingly simple motif is pregnant with meaning. Fruit, since antiquity, has symbolized abundance, fertility, and the gifts of nature. Think of Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruitful abundance, often depicted with an armful of ripe fruit. Here, in the context of “Arkadia”—a pastoral ideal—it evokes a return to a golden age, free from the burdens of modern life. This yearning for a simpler, more natural existence is a recurring theme in art and literature. The fruit motif embodies this desire, acting as a potent symbol that transcends time and continues to resonate in our collective consciousness. It’s a reminder of our deep-seated longing for harmony with nature, a subconscious echo of a lost paradise. The cyclical nature of this symbol mirrors our own cyclical return to these ideals throughout history.