Ontwerp voor een grauwtje met de Tijd en de Waarheid 1785

This design for a grisaille by Johannes Petrus van Horstok features Father Time and Truth. At the top, Time, marked by his wings and a clock on his head, unveils Truth, revealing her to the world. This unveiling is an ancient motif, echoing in depictions of Salome revealing herself to the world, each act a pivotal moment of revelation. Below them, figures symbolizing human follies are cast down, holding symbols of vanity and ignorance. One holds a mask, an emblem of deceit, and a quenched torch, signifying the extinguishing of knowledge. The act of unveiling speaks to our deepest psychological needs for clarity. This motif crosses epochs, from ancient Greek sculptures to Renaissance paintings. It carries a potent emotional charge. Truth, initially hidden, becomes a beacon, much like the re-emergence of ancient gods in Renaissance art, reflecting a cyclical return to classical ideals. It is a cultural memory, constantly reshaped yet fundamentally unchanged.