Kind met verrekijker in tuin ziet Laatste Oordeel 1590 - 1624

"Kind met verrekijker in tuin ziet Laatste Oordeel" or "Child with binoculars in the garden sees the Last Judgment" is a small engraving by Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert. The child, rendered gender neutral by clothing, stands at the threshold of adulthood, peering through a spyglass. They are confronted with a vision of the apocalypse, a scene deeply rooted in Christian eschatology where the soul faces final reckoning. The Latin inscription calls for wisdom and understanding. The engraving reflects the intersection of religious doctrine and the everyday, specifically childhood, during a time when faith heavily influenced the perception of life's events. Bolswert’s work invites introspection on themes of innocence, awareness, and the weight of cultural narratives, particularly how the idea of morality is introduced and observed from an early age. In this piece, the personal act of observation transforms into a profound encounter with the cultural and religious frameworks that shape our understanding of existence and morality.