Floskaartjes 1833 - 1900

Dirk van Lubeek created this print, titled "Floskaartjes," sometime in the late 18th century. The deck of cards presents a stratified view of society. One card shows an emperor, holding a sword, a symbol of power and justice since antiquity. Another card, in the lower right-hand corner, has the chilling figure of Death, which reminds us of human mortality and is as old as art itself. Such figures are not isolated. From ancient Egypt to the Renaissance, rulers have been depicted with emblems of authority and power. Likewise, depictions of death, as a skeleton, appear in Roman mosaics as a warning, “memento mori”, remember you must die. These motifs echo through time, transformed and adapted, revealing our collective subconscious fixation with power and mortality. Consider how the psychological weight of such images affects us. Their non-linear journey through time underscores our shared humanity, and the cyclical progression of symbols is continuously resurfacing and evolving through different contexts.