Verschillende zaken 1822 - 1849

This print by Jan de Lange II, created sometime in the first half of the 19th century, presents a series of emblems each laden with symbolic weight. Consider, for example, the hourglass with wings, a timeless memento mori. This motif, signifying the swift passage of time and the inevitability of death, echoes through centuries of art, from medieval vanitas paintings to Renaissance allegories. Notice how the grim reaper and the hourglass also appear in numerous forms, a kind of recurring nightmare. Its persistence reveals a deep-seated human preoccupation with mortality, a fear that artists attempt to exorcise through representation. The balance, associated with law, justice, and the soul echoes through cultures. These emblems are not static symbols but living entities, continuously shaped by the currents of human experience and expression. This piece, in its own way, encapsulates the eternal dance of symbols across time and culture.