Bloemenkrans met horlogekasten, onderaan de tuin van het Kasteel van Ruel 1665

Balthazar Moncornet created this print, "Flower Garland with Watch Cases, with the Garden of the Chateau de Ruel Below," in the 17th century using etching. The composition features a wreath of flowers surrounding three ornate watch cases. The flower garland is a potent symbol, reminiscent of ancient Roman funerary wreaths, signifying both beauty and the cyclical nature of life. This motif echoes through Renaissance art, often adorning portraits as emblems of virtue or achievement. Here, it frames the watches, objects representing time's relentless march. The watches, hanging suspended, evoke a memento mori—a reminder of mortality—a theme prevalent in Dutch Golden Age art. The image suggests a poignant tension: the ephemeral beauty of the flowers juxtaposed with the cold precision of timekeeping. This contrast engages our subconscious awareness of time's passage, a universal anxiety that transcends eras, prompting reflection on the fleeting nature of existence and the enduring human quest to measure and master it.