Doop van prins Willem V, 1748 1748

This engraving by Simon Fokke depicts the baptism of Prince William V in 1748. Central to the ceremony is the baptismal font, a vessel brimming with symbolic weight. Water, the essence of purification, is poured over the infant’s head. The gesture of pouring water echoes across centuries, from ancient ablutions to the rituals of Mithras, each imparting a sense of renewal. Baptism marks not just a washing away, but an opening, a gateway to identity. Think of the Roman triumph, where the general was ritually cleansed before entering the city, reborn as a civic hero. Here, it's the making of a prince, the symbolic renewal of dynastic promise, and the collective hopes of a nation projected onto one small figure, engaging us on a deeply primal level. The cyclical progression of this symbol highlights how it has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.