Antieke buste van Ceres 1677

This is an engraving by Etienne Baudet, depicting an antique bust of Ceres. In Roman religion, Ceres was the goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly relationships. Her image, therefore, is closely linked with abundance and nourishment. The veiled head is a powerful motif. It originally signified modesty, but also mystery and the sacred. In antiquity, the veiling of sacred statues and priestesses was common, suggesting hidden knowledge or divine presence. Consider the Christian tradition where veils denote purity and spiritual dedication, or even the Islamic tradition where the veil is a complex symbol of identity and privacy. In this image, the veil may evoke a deeper psychological response, tapping into our collective memory and subconscious associations with the divine feminine, fertility, and the hidden forces of nature. It's this cyclical return and reinterpretation of symbols across cultures that reveal how the past is constantly reshaped by the present.