Design for Book Illustration 1750 - 1800

Franz Sigrist created this design for a book illustration with pen and gray ink and gray wash. The lamb atop the structure is a symbol laden with meaning, stretching back to antiquity. Originally a pagan symbol of sacrifice and purity, the lamb was adopted into Christian iconography as a representation of Christ—the "Lamb of God" sacrificing himself for humanity. The lamb's association with innocence and gentleness is subverted here. Notice its radiant halo, signaling divine authority. This symbol has roots in the ancient world and resonates with Frazer’s “The Golden Bough”. This book explores how certain rituals and symbols recur across different cultures and epochs. Consider the psychoanalytic perspective. Could the lamb also embody the collective unconscious, representing archetypal themes of sacrifice and redemption? It is a symbol that transcends time, its emotive power rooted in our deepest, most primal fears and hopes. Thus, the lamb motif continually resurfaces, evolving in meaning yet forever tethered to its origins.