Fotoreproductie van een prent naar het schilderij Et in Arcadia ego before 1861

This anonymous photogravure from an unknown date reproduces a print of the painting "Et in Arcadia ego," and is found in a book titled "Fleurs Latines." The title, meaning "Even in Arcadia, there am I," speaks to the ever-presence of death, even in idyllic settings. The image and its placement in "Fleurs Latines," raise interesting questions about cultural memory and the romanticization of the past. It asks us to consider how classical themes and landscapes, like the one depicted, are used to evoke a sense of timelessness. The figures surrounding the tomb invite contemplation about mortality and legacy. This invites us to think about our own relationship to history and the stories we choose to preserve. It prompts us to reflect on how the past shapes our present and how art can serve as a bridge between different moments in time.