Vignet met een bellenblazende putto op een berg van schedels 1751 - 1816

This vignette of a putto blowing bubbles from atop a pile of skulls was made by Reinier Vinkeles, likely in the late 18th century. The image presents us with a paradox: a cherubic figure, the putto, typically associated with love and innocence, is juxtaposed with symbols of mortality. This tension speaks to the cultural context of the Enlightenment, where traditional religious beliefs were increasingly questioned by scientific rationalism. The skulls are a memento mori, a reminder of death's inevitability, while the bubbles suggest the fleeting nature of life and earthly pleasures. Vinkeles, as an artist, was very involved in the institutions of his time. He was a member of the Stadstekenacademie in Amsterdam. Further research into the engraver's involvement in the artistic institutions of the time, as well as the intellectual debates around religion and science, would shed more light on the meaning of this intriguing image.