Grafmonumenten voor veldmaarschalk Paulus Wirtz en schout-bij-nacht Willem van der Zaan in de Oude Kerk te Amsterdam 1693 - 1726

This print shows the tomb monuments of Paulus Wirtz and Willem van der Zaan, two Dutch military figures, likely made to commemorate them shortly after their deaths. Dominating these monuments are striking displays of heraldry and symbolic objects. Note the coat of arms, a visual representation of lineage and status, topped by skulls, ancient symbols that have traveled through time to remind us of mortality. These motifs have a long history, reappearing throughout European art and architecture, each time subtly altered. Consider the cherubs that adorn the monuments. Originally, these figures were pagan symbols of love and desire; later, they were adopted into Christian art as symbols of divine love and innocence. Like figures in a dream, they represent the shifting, subconscious currents of cultural memory. These symbols are not static; they evolve, adapt, and reappear, continually engaging viewers on a deep emotional level. They invite us to confront our own mortality and ponder the transient nature of human existence.