Portret van een baby op een stoel c. 1875 - 1900

Johannes Leonardus van der Heijden captured this photograph of a baby on a chair. The most striking symbol here is the chair itself. More than mere furniture, it's a throne of innocence, a stage for early life. Consider how the motif of the enthroned figure—so prevalent in religious art—reappears here in a secular context. From the Madonna and child to royal portraits, the seated figure signifies authority and reverence. Yet, here, it is a child, barely able to sit upright, who occupies this position. The chair becomes a symbol of potential, of the future authority this child might one day wield. It speaks to our collective hopes and anxieties about the next generation. The very act of placing the child on a chair engages our deep-seated cultural memories, evoking a sense of both vulnerability and nascent power, a potent combination that resonates on a subconscious level. The chair—a non-linear, cyclical progression of symbols—resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings.