Title Page. Dedicated to LeBrun c. 1660

Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer created this print dedicated to LeBrun, featuring an elaborate display of flowers surrounding a classical urn. The urn, adorned with figures reminiscent of ancient sculpture, becomes a vessel not only for flowers but also for memory itself. Consider the lion heads on the urn. The motif stretches back to antiquity. Initially, the lion signified strength, courage, and royalty; it later morphed into a symbol of guardianship and divine power, often seen in the form of gargoyles. Here, the lions are domesticated into mere ornamentation, yet they still carry echoes of their primordial force. The arrangement evokes a sense of Vanitas, a reminder of life's ephemerality. Yet, the very act of arranging these motifs is an attempt to defy the ravages of time, freezing a fleeting moment into a lasting image. The print is not merely a still life but a stage where symbols perform, whispering stories of cultural continuity and the enduring power of the past.