Standbeeld van Ceres 1631 - 1637

This is Claude Mellan’s engraving of the statue of Ceres, made in the 17th century. Here we see the goddess of agriculture, identified by the wheat stalks she holds, symbols of fertility and abundance. Her gesture, with a finger pointing upwards, is a motif that echoes through centuries of art. Think of Plato in Raphael’s “School of Athens,” a similar gesture indicating the realm of ideas, and the divine. The meaning has transformed with time, yet it still retains this connection to a higher power, or a higher level of consciousness. This recurring gesture seems to tap into our collective memory, perhaps expressing an eternal human desire to understand the intangible. Such images speak to us on a profound level because they reflect our deepest hopes and fears, and our eternal quest for meaning. These symbols continue their journey through time, continuously evolving.