Kvinde med to børn 1564 - 1625

This drawing by Hans Rottenhammer depicts a woman with two children, rendered in delicate strokes. The central motif, the mother and child, immediately evokes the Madonna, an archetype deeply embedded in our collective memory. Observe how the figures echo classical poses—consider the resemblance to ancient Roman depictions of familial virtue, the so-called Pietas. Yet, this echoes further to images of Isis, the Egyptian Goddess with her son Horus. This iconography transcends cultures, speaking to the universal human experience of motherhood. The child reaching upwards may symbolize humanity's striving for the divine. There is a cyclical return of similar gestures across centuries. In the Renaissance, we see this gesture symbolizing devotion, resurfacing again in mannerist art with an added layer of emotional complexity, reflecting our internal, psychological desire for protection and guidance. The emotional resonance of the image draws us to this idea, engaging us on a deep, subconscious level.