Lente 1637 - 1671

This etching, "Lente" or Spring, was made by Frederik Bouttats around the 17th century. At its heart is a figure crowned with leaves, holding a bouquet of flowers. She embodies the vernal season, a tradition stretching back to classical antiquity, seen in figures like Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers and spring. The crown of leaves is an ancient symbol, a visual echo of triumph and renewal, resurfacing in countless forms across time. Think of the laurel wreaths adorning emperors or the floral crowns of Renaissance allegories; each shares a lineage, a visual language that speaks to cycles of life. The image evokes a powerful psychological pull, a collective memory of rebirth, that deeply ingrained yearning for renewal that transcends time. This symbol has traversed epochs, evolving yet retaining its core essence—a potent visual encoding of humanity's enduring relationship with the natural world and the cycles of life, death, and rebirth.