Liefde of Eros en Anteros. NL-HlmNHA 1477 53010774

Two muscular male figures, representing the dual aspects of love, are shown in a passionate embrace within a rugged landscape. Each figure holds a large, lit torch—one raised toward the sky and the other held lower—while a small fire burns on the ground near a tree root. The scene is characterized by the dynamic, twisted poses and precise line work typical of the late 16th-century Haarlem school.

This allegory draws on Neoplatonic philosophy regarding the nature of divine and reciprocal love. In the tradition of Marsilio Ficino, the relationship between Eros (desire) and Anteros (requited love) was used to explain the cosmic sympathy and the soul's ascent through the realization of beauty and mutual affection.