Schepping 1808

"Schepping," or "Creation," is a 17th-century etching by François Anne David. In this print, the artist depicts a moment of cosmogony, set within an angular frame. God is presented in dynamic motion, and the work displays an overall tonal unity. The composition centers around a figure in mid-air, and the formal qualities here suggest a deeper discourse on divine action and order. We see God's body and the swirling fabric as lines of force in the act of creation. The semiotic system at play here is the artist's method of conveying complex theological concepts through visual cues. Note how the lines create a sense of depth, with the earth rendered as a curving plane. This is not merely a representation but an interpretation of the act of creation as a structured event. The artist engages with contemporary philosophical concerns about the universe's structure, giving us much to consider about art and our ever-changing understanding of the cosmos.