The Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Piece of Silver 1580 - 1585

Editor: This is a print by Hans Collaert the Elder, titled "The Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Piece of Silver". It feels like a celebration, but I'm curious about the narratives depicted. What can you tell me about the symbolism within this image? Curator: Notice how Collaert juxtaposes the two parables? The lost coin, recovered with diligent searching, contrasts with the shepherd's joyful return of the lost sheep. One signifies earthly, the other spiritual, salvation. Observe the gestures of joy and relief, echoing the emotional weight of redemption across cultural memory. Editor: So, it's about the different paths to finding what's lost? Curator: Precisely! Collaert uses these well-known parables to explore the diverse ways in which both material and spiritual loss can be recovered, and how these recoveries resonate with different emotional and social responses. What do you make of the community's reaction? Editor: It seems like the artist connects spiritual and physical worlds through symbolic representation. I've learned so much! Curator: Indeed! It's fascinating how images can carry profound cultural weight across time.