Zie hier een schets &o jeugd! der schoone zeevaardij / En hoe in ´t rustloos woên uer hobbelende baren, / Tot eer van 't vaderland en 't nut der maatschappij, / De zeeliên, vol van moed, het schuimend zout bevaaren 1791 - 1812

This print by Jacobus Thompson presents a series of scenes depicting the 'beautiful seafaring' of his time. The dominant symbol here is the ship. Consider how the ship motif extends far beyond its immediate practical function. Throughout history, the ship has served as a potent symbol of human ambition, exploration, and the confrontation with the unknown. We see echoes of this in ancient Egyptian funerary boats meant to carry souls to the afterlife and in Viking longships that represented both a means of conquest and a connection to their gods. Here, these ships, tossed about by unruly waves, also evoke a sense of vulnerability, echoing the symbolic representation of life's journey, a concept that transcends time. The human psyche is captivated by the sea; its vastness mirrors the depths of our subconscious, where we grapple with the forces of fate. This image embodies the cyclical nature of human experience, the perennial dance between courage and uncertainty, continually revived through collective memory.