Engel met schild 1835 - 1901

François-Nicolas Chifflart created this print, "Angel with Shield," employing dark, moody tones to depict a poignant scene. Here, the winged figure of the angel inclines towards a large urn, adorned with flowers, a vessel usually associated with mourning. The gesture, her delicate laying of flowers, is reminiscent of ancient funerary rites, echoing motifs found in classical antiquity and Renaissance art, where figures often tend to tombs with similar expressions of sorrow. Think of Roman sarcophagi where mourning figures enact repetitive, stylized gestures of grief. The urn, a symbol of containment and memory, appears throughout art history, each time subtly shifting in meaning, yet retaining its core association with loss. The emotional weight of the image is palpable; it speaks to universal experiences of grief and remembrance, tapping into a deep well of cultural memory that resonates across centuries. The cyclical nature of such symbols reminds us that, while forms may change, the underlying human experiences they represent endure, constantly resurfacing in new artistic contexts.