In einem Boot stehende Frau als Aktfigur, aus dem _Gastmahl des Reichen_ c. 1855

This pencil drawing of a standing nude woman in a boat was created by Victor Müller. The female figure, with her form partially revealed, presents an iconic image of vulnerability, and recalls the classical motif of Venus emerging from the sea, a symbol of beauty and rebirth, yet here she stands in a boat, evoking a more ambiguous sense of journey. We see her vulnerability, in a posture of instability, seeking balance on uncertain seas. The boat motif carries echoes of Charon's boat, ferrying souls across the river Styx. But this is also a symbol of hope, carrying the promise of a new beginning, evoking an emotional response that intertwines fear, desire, and the eternal quest for meaning. The viewer engages with a figure caught between worlds, her story resonating with our own search for solid ground in the ever-changing currents of life.