Bisschop Ambrosius 1721 - 1779

This is Jan Punt’s engraving of Bishop Ambrose. The saint is depicted with his bishop’s staff, a book in his hand, and a beehive resting on the clouds beneath him. The beehive, an ancient symbol of industry, order, and community, has, since antiquity, been associated with both oratory and wisdom. We see it appearing in ancient Egyptian iconography, symbolizing the structure of society. Later, Virgil, and others, used the beehive as a model for human organization. Ambrose’s eloquence was legendary, and it was said that as a baby, a swarm of bees landed on his face, leaving honey on his tongue. Consider how this imagery taps into our collective unconscious. The beehive is not merely a symbol of speech; it evokes a deep-seated sense of social harmony and productivity. These symbols speak to a desire for order and a fear of chaos, engaging us on a subconscious level, reminding us of the eternal human quest for knowledge and harmony. The beehive has resurfaced through time, its meaning evolving yet retaining its essence, demonstrating the cyclical progression of symbols through history.