Compositie van gipsen ornamenten uit het atelier van J. Delbove, Brussel, België 1860 - 1882

This photograph captures a plaster cast composition from J. Delbove's Brussels studio, immortalized by Charles De Trez. Central is the figure of a putto with arms raised. This gesture echoes the "nymph," a motif I've traced across epochs and cultures, symbolizing life's vital energies. We see this in ancient depictions of maenads, figures of divine possession, or the victorious pose in classical art. Here, in the plaster cast, the putto's raised arms are a call to the heavens, yet distanced from its religious origins. It evokes the emotional intensity of the human condition, reaching out in supplication or celebration. Consider how this differs from antiquity or the Renaissance. The gesture, once imbued with religious fervor, now carries a more secular, decorative intent. The classical motif has been reborn, adapted, yet the primal yearning remains, tapping into our collective memory. This cyclical pattern reveals the endurance and transformation of symbols, resonating through time.