Ovaal met gestileerde ranken waarin hoofden verwerkt zijn c. 1615 - 1630

This small, anonymous engraving presents an oval filled with stylized tendrils, interspersed with human heads and figures. The image pulses with life, as faces emerge from the foliage. The incorporation of human figures into decorative plant forms is a motif that stretches back to antiquity. Think of the Roman acanthus leaf, often populated with playful putti. Here, this motif is imbued with a particularly Northern sensibility, a certain unease. The faces aren’t serene, classical ideals but distorted, grotesque. The tendrils and vines might recall the Tree of Life, but here, it seems to have taken a turn towards the uncanny. This tension reflects a deep cultural memory, a subconscious anxiety about the natural world's capacity to both nurture and overwhelm. This visual language reappears throughout history, a testament to its lasting power to engage viewers on a primal, emotional level. These symbols are not fixed; they evolve, resurface, and gain new meaning, forever circling through our collective consciousness.