Jongens proberen een vlieger uit een boom los te maken 1790

William Ward created this aquatint, "Jongens proberen een vlieger uit een boom los te maken," capturing a seemingly simple scene of boys trying to free a kite from a tree. Yet, let us consider the kite itself—an object that soars, tethered between earth and sky, embodying aspiration and freedom, now caught in the thorny embrace of the tree. The image evokes the ancient myth of Icarus, whose flight towards the sun ended in a tragic fall. Here, the entangled kite echoes Icarus's fate. It is a symbol of ambition thwarted, of youthful dreams ensnared by the harsh realities of the earthly realm. The tree, in turn, becomes a potent symbol of the natural world, both a source of life and an impediment to human endeavor. These motifs tap into our collective memory, reminding us of the delicate balance between aspiration and limitation, a struggle that resonates deeply within the human psyche.