Zittende naakte vrouw die naar een wesp kijkt 1847 - 1850

This lithograph by Émile Lassalle depicts a seated nude woman gazing at a wasp. The wasp, often a symbol of irritation and fleeting pain, introduces a note of disquiet into the scene. The woman’s contemplative expression and the delicate rendering of her form evoke classical ideals of beauty and vulnerability. But consider the wasp not merely as an annoyance. In ancient mythologies, insects often served as symbols of transformation and the soul's journey, think of Psyche and the butterfly, or the bee as a symbol of the soul in ancient Egypt. Here, the wasp might represent a moment of poignant awareness, a fleeting encounter with the transient nature of beauty and life. The woman's gaze, directed towards this buzzing creature, invites us to ponder the subtle disturbances that animate our own psyches, reminding us that even in moments of serene beauty, the sting of reality is never far away. This reflects a perpetual dance between desire and dread, beauty and its inevitable fading, echoing through the corridors of time.