Vissersboten op kalm water bij een haven 1881

Henri Toussaint etched these Fishing boats on calm water near a harbor, capturing a scene imbued with symbolic weight. The boats themselves, clustered closely, present an interesting perspective on the human relationship with the natural world, echoing motifs found throughout art history, where boats on water may symbolize journeys or the passage of time. Consider for instance the ancient Egyptian funerary boats carrying souls across the river to the afterlife. Here, in this 19th-century harbor scene, the boats, while more literal, still evoke a sense of transition and passage. The very stillness of the water, mirroring the sky, suggests a moment of reflection, a pause before the next voyage. This imagery resonates with our collective memory, tapping into our subconscious understanding of life's cyclical nature. The image, therefore, becomes more than a mere depiction of boats. It speaks to our innate human connection to the sea and to our understanding of life as a journey with inevitable cycles.