Kind verkleed als nar met windmolen op stokpaardje en engel 1590 - 1624

This engraving by Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert, currently held in the Rijksmuseum, presents a stark contrast through its detailed lines and symbolic forms. The image is divided into two distinct halves, setting up a dialectic between earthly folly and divine knowledge. On one side, we see a child dressed as a jester riding a hobby horse, embodying playfulness, and perhaps ignorance. The jester carries a basket of what appears to be skulls. His upward gaze and windmolen may represent the search for direction, or perhaps a longing for divine truth. Opposite the jester, an angel covers their eyes. A burst of light emanates from the angel, emphasizing divine presence. This juxtaposition invites us to consider how human foolishness is perceived in the eyes of the divine. The angel covers his face perhaps as a reference to the Psalm written at the bottom of the page: "Thou, God, knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hidden from thee". The artwork challenges us to reflect on the boundaries between jest and reverence and on the nature of divine awareness.