Kvinde med barn på skødet (bønfaldende?) 1750 - 1799

Domenico Riccardi rendered this drawing of a woman and child in the 18th century. The woman's upward gaze is one of supplication. Her open mouth and the child clinging to her signal distress, a primal scene of protection and plea. This image resonates with the ancient motif of the Madonna and Child, where maternal love is intertwined with divine appeal. Consider the "Schreckensbilder," images of terror, that recur throughout art history, from ancient Greek depictions of the Trojan War to Renaissance paintings of the Massacre of the Innocents. The raised arms of the mother, a gesture seen across cultures, speak to a universal appeal for mercy and protection. The emotional power of this image lies in its raw expression of fear and desperation. This collective memory—the archetype of the mother protecting her child—engages us on a subconscious level. We are reminded that these primal scenes of suffering and protection are cyclical, recurring throughout history in new forms.