North African landscape 

Mariano Fortuny Marsal captured this North African landscape in paint, with a meandering stream as its focal point. Water, in its myriad forms, is a symbol deeply embedded in the human psyche. In ancient mythologies, rivers were often seen as boundaries between worlds, the flowing waters representing the passage of time and the journey of life. Think of the river Styx in Greek mythology, a border between the living and the dead. Here, the stream invites a connection to these primordial notions. The painting uses a seemingly mundane scene to unlock a resonance within us, stirring something ancient and profound. This symbol is not static; it evolves. The river becomes a carrier of cultural memory, each ripple echoing the stories and beliefs of civilizations past.