Ezels voor de deur van een stal 1636

Pieter Bodding van Laer etched this work, "Donkeys at the door of a stable," sometime in the first half of the 17th century. Dominating the view are three donkeys standing by the doorway. The donkey, throughout history, has been a multifaceted symbol. In antiquity, it was associated with both the divine and the mundane. Think of Christ's entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, a symbol of humility and peace, but also of the everyday, of labor. Yet, in other contexts, the donkey has been stigmatized, seen as stubborn or foolish. This duality is precisely what captures the complexities of cultural memory. Observe how the motif of animals at rest appears across time and space. From ancient pastoral scenes to modern-day depictions of farm life, this theme invokes our primal connection to nature and our dependence on animals. This scene taps into a deep-seated emotional well, a subconscious recognition of our shared existence with these creatures. It is a visual echo, resonating with the diverse layers of meaning that the donkey has accumulated through the ages.