Studie van een groep mensen 1831 - 1899

This pencil drawing by Johannes Jacobus Bertelman captures a bustling harbor scene, brimming with boats and a crowd of figures embarking on a maritime journey. The prominent vessel, laden with passengers, immediately recalls ancient imagery of the ship of souls, a motif echoed through various cultures as a vessel for transitioning between worlds. Consider, for instance, the Egyptian funerary boats carrying the deceased pharaoh to the afterlife, or the classical myths of Charon ferrying souls across the river Styx. Here, the boat motif transcends mere transportation; it embodies a psychological threshold, a crossing from the known to the unknown. The composition, with its cluster of anonymous individuals, evokes feelings of collective experience. The psychological impact of such scenes lies in the viewer's subconscious recognition of shared human experiences, tapping into universal anxieties and hopes linked to journeys and transformations. We are all voyagers, navigating the river of time.