Italiaanse vrouw met twee kinderen 1846 - 1863

Hendrik Dekker’s image captures an Italian woman with her children, rendered in delicate strokes, evoking a timeless vision of maternal love. The composition is dominated by the archetypal symbol of the Madonna, with the mother tenderly nursing her child. Such imagery harkens back to the classical depictions of Venus, the goddess of love, frequently portrayed nurturing Cupid, her son. This motif, deeply rooted in antiquity, resurfaces throughout the Renaissance and later periods, evolving from pagan symbolism into Christian iconography. The act of breastfeeding itself transforms into a powerful symbol of nourishment and unconditional love. The emotional resonance of this image lies in its ability to tap into our collective memory, stirring within us a recognition of the primal bond between mother and child. Through history, this symbol is never static; it is cyclical, changing with the times, yet its core of human emotion remains.