Rivierboot Prins Hendrik bij de steiger van plantage Accaribo. 1913 - 1930

Theodoor Browers created this small stereograph of the Rivierboot Prins Hendrik at the Accaribo plantation. Consider how water has been portrayed across cultures: it is both a symbol of life, and a symbol of death. The river represents a journey, a passage between states of being. The Riverboat is a symbol of technological advancement and colonialism. It also speaks to the complicated relationship between humanity and nature. We can compare this image to ancient depictions of the River Styx, the mythological river that separates the world of the living from the world of the dead. As the boat carries people across the water, one can interpret that this reflects our collective unconscious understanding of life's transitions, engaging the viewer with the recognition of the passage of time. Such potent, universal, and timeless symbols continue to be reinterpreted, echoing through art history and our shared human consciousness.