La Escoba / The Broom / Le Volai 1970

Mariana Yampolsky’s photograph presents us with a mother and child, yet it's the humble broom that commands our attention. In many cultures, the broom is not merely a tool for cleanliness but a potent symbol, often associated with the feminine, with domestic order and the power to sweep away not just dirt, but also malevolent spirits. Think of the folklore surrounding witches and their brooms, vehicles for nocturnal flights and emblems of otherworldly power. But let us consider the broom in a different light. In some traditions, laying a broom across a doorway could keep unwanted guests away or even ward off death. The broom, thus, becomes a threshold marker, a guardian. It speaks to our deep-seated need for protection and purification. Observe how the young mother holds her baby and the broom is standing at the ready, leaning against the wall, a silent sentinel. Through time the meaning of the broom has shifted, and has resurfaced in different cultural contexts, evolving from domestic tool to a symbol of something far more profound.