Visfuik aan een begroeide waterkant 1830 - 1878

Johannes Pieter van Wisselingh created this work, "Visfuik aan een begroeide waterkant", using etching. In this seemingly simple image, we observe symbols of transition and decay. The broken fence submerged in water speaks to the transience of human constructs when faced with the enduring force of nature. Fences have always been a symbol of separation, and in turn, also safety. I am reminded of similar boundaries depicted throughout art history, such as the crumbling walls in Piranesi's etchings of ancient Rome, each representing a similar tension between the built environment and inevitable decline. Here, the fence leans precariously, almost surrendering to the water. This visual echoes humanity's vulnerability, as we strive to create order but are constantly confronted with natural entropy. It evokes a subconscious recognition of our fleeting existence in the face of timeless natural processes. The image captures a moment of melancholic contemplation, a meditation on time and the cyclical return to nature.