Wijnrank in zon en regen 1695

Gabriel Ehinger created this print, titled 'Wijnrank in zon en regen'—or 'Vine in Sun and Rain'—sometime between the late 17th and early 18th centuries. This allegorical image, framed by cherubic figures and grape motifs, presents us with a vision of nature's bounty set against a landscape marked by both sunlight and storm clouds. In the context of the Dutch Golden Age, when the Netherlands was a major economic power with burgeoning trade and artistic production, we might read this image as a statement on providence and resilience. There is an emotional tension between light and darkness in Ehinger's composition, which prompts us to consider the complexities of the world that support such growth. The Latin inscription, "Intacta placet," meaning "It pleases untouched," could speak to a desire to preserve the delicate balance of nature or perhaps, more broadly, a moral or spiritual integrity amidst the era's material abundance. We are left to consider what it means to remain 'untouched' in a world constantly shaped by human and natural forces.