Cartouche met cherubijntje en gevleugelde vrouwen 1613 - 1657

This is an undated engraving of a cartouche with cherubs and winged women by Pierre Firens. The print captivates with its symmetrical design, primarily articulated through linear precision and a classical oval form. Notice how the composition is anchored by an elaborate frame hosting cherubic figures and symmetrical arrangements of foliage. The meticulous detail in the rendering of the winged women and cherubs invites a semiotic reading: their presence may signify allegorical concepts, such as divine inspiration or the harmony of nature and humanity. The cartouche itself acts as a signifier, a blank space awaiting inscription, thus destabilizing any fixed meaning. It challenges us to fill the void, reflecting a poststructuralist concept where meaning is never fully present but always deferred. The blank cartouche becomes a space for perpetual interpretation.