Horlogekast tussen twee boeketten 1661 - 1726

This undated, unsigned piece from the Rijksmuseum collection is titled 'Horlogekast tussen twee boeketten' and executed using etching. The imagery here includes an unidentified scene centered between two floral arrangements, all contained within a rectangular border. The central image, enclosed in a circle, seems to depict a biblical scene, possibly the adoration of the Magi, given the figures gathered around an infant. The use of floral motifs, while decorative, also speaks to themes of temporality and the vanitas tradition common in Dutch art. The image prompts questions about the relationship between faith, time, and beauty. What does it mean to mark time, when human life is fleeting like a flower? And how does one render the eternal into the everyday? This etching invites contemplation on the nature of time, faith, and the ephemeral nature of human existence.