Portretten van twee courtisanes 1630 - 1632

Crispijn van de Passe the Younger created this print of two courtesans using engraving techniques. On the left, “La belle Zaouannare Cour” displays a cross, a symbol that transcends its overt religious meaning. The cross, since antiquity, is seen in numerous contexts, from ancient Egyptian ankhs to various forms in pre-Christian cultures, symbolizing life or cosmic balance. Here, it dangles over a bare chest, an evolution from a symbol of devotion to one of adornment, perhaps even subversion. The jewel worn by the courtesan carries the emotional weight of a sacred object adapted for worldly display. This transformation highlights our complex relationship with symbols, how they’re remembered, reinterpreted, and imbued with new meaning. A symbol never remains static.