Design for the Epitaph of the 't Seraets-Van Etten family 1645 - 1655

This is Abraham van Diepenbeeck's "Design for the Epitaph of the 't Seraets-Van Etten family," made with pen and brown ink, brush with gray wash, and red chalk. The drawing is striking for its symmetry and intricate ornamentation. Two oval frames form the visual center, flanked by cherubic figures and heraldic symbols. The artist’s use of line—precise and deliberate—establishes a clear visual hierarchy, guiding the viewer's eye through a carefully constructed symbolic landscape. Diepenbeeck's design operates within a semiotic framework, where each element functions as a signifier. The cherubs, for example, are not merely decorative; they convey notions of innocence, divinity and transition. The heraldic emblems, placed at the base, ground the design, connecting it to earthly lineage and familial identity. The composition invites us to consider how meaning is constructed through formal arrangement and symbolic language. The overall structure, with its balanced forms and symbolic elements, suggests a carefully considered reflection on life, death, and memory. The design destabilizes the singular meaning of mortality, recasting it as a part of a complex interplay of faith, family, and artistic expression.