Vrouw met twee kinderen 1822

Philippus Velijn captured this image of a "Woman with Two Children" in an engraving. The pointing gesture, so prominent here, is a fascinating thread through art history. Consider the “Hand of God” in early Christian art, reaching down from the heavens, a symbol of divine intervention. Now, look at our mother, directing her children's gaze outward. It echoes not divine power but earthly guidance, a mother shaping her children's understanding of the world. The "Mother and Child" motif also speaks to something primal, a universal symbol of nurturing and protection, seen across cultures and religions, from the Madonna to ancient fertility goddesses. This image is less about religious idolatry and more about the human connection between mother and child. It evokes a sense of hope and continuity. The gesture and grouping subtly reinforce an instinctive, cyclical progression—gestures, feelings, and images resurfacing, evolving, and finding new resonance across time.