Hond liggend bij een deurpost c. 1863 - 1864

This is a pencil drawing by Maria Vos, showing a dog lying by a doorway. The dog, in its stillness, is a potent symbol, echoing ancient motifs of fidelity and guardianship. We see it repeated across time – from the loyal canines guarding the thresholds of Pompeian homes to the dogs faithfully depicted in Renaissance portraits, symbols of unwavering loyalty. Consider the ancient Egyptian jackal-headed god Anubis, guardian of the dead, a role imbued with a sense of protection and guidance through liminal spaces. This motif of the dog as a guardian is not linear; it resurfaces, evolves. The emotional weight we place on these symbols taps into a deep, collective memory, resonating with our subconscious understanding of loyalty. The dog's posture here, relaxed yet watchful, stirs a familiar sense of domestic tranquility, reminding us of the powerful, cyclical nature of symbols and their emotional resonance across centuries.