Landscape 1610 - 1664

This landscape drawing was created by Stefano della Bella sometime in the 17th century. The most striking symbol here is the ship. Since antiquity, ships have been seen as symbols of journeys, both literal and metaphorical, representing life's voyage, fraught with uncertainty yet promising discovery. Consider how this motif, the ship, appears across time. In ancient Egyptian funerary art, boats carried souls to the afterlife. In Renaissance paintings, ships symbolized the Church navigating the seas of earthly existence. Della Bella’s ship connects to this rich lineage, but now it’s placed within a naturalistic setting, hinting at a more secular, individual journey. Psychologically, the ship taps into our collective unconscious; our innate desire for exploration and transformation. It represents the self setting sail into the unknown, an emotionally charged symbol that engages us on a deep, subconscious level. This symbol reflects the non-linear, cyclical progression, resurfacing and evolving through different eras.