Maria en Jozef bij het slapend Christuskind 1599 - 1603

This small, circular engraving by Jacob Matham shows Mary and Joseph watching over the sleeping Christ Child. Dominating the composition is the motif of sleep, a poignant symbol of vulnerability and potential, deeply rooted in our collective psyche. Consider, for example, the figures of Endymion or Ariadne in classical antiquity, forever captured in slumber, awaiting divine intervention or tragic awakening. The image of the sleeping child elicits a similar emotional response, stirring both tenderness and anxiety. Joseph holds a candle, a symbol of divine light, but also of human fragility. We are reminded of the ever-present tension between darkness and illumination, ignorance and knowledge, life and death. Just like the ancient Greeks, we too are drawn to the symbolic power of the light and the dark. This image is not just a depiction of a biblical scene, but a reminder of our shared human experience: the cyclical dance of sleep and awakening, hope and fear.