Jan de Vos 1652 - 1662

Karel Dujardin rendered this etching of Jan de Vos, capturing the sitter in the midst of thought, a scroll clutched in his hand. This scroll, or roll of paper, speaks volumes. Consider how the motif of the scroll stretches back through antiquity, a symbol of knowledge, authority, and the written word. From the Torah scrolls of Judaism to the philosophical treatises of ancient Greece, the scroll represents a vessel of enduring wisdom. It’s fascinating to observe how this symbol persists, evolving through the codex and eventually into the printed book. Each iteration carries echoes of its predecessors, a testament to humanity's enduring quest for understanding. The act of holding a scroll speaks to a deep, perhaps subconscious, desire to connect with past wisdom. The scroll motif is not merely about the information it contains, but about the power it represents. The simple act of holding it, as Jan de Vos does here, engages us on a profound level, reminding us of the cyclical nature of knowledge and its eternal return throughout history.