Landschap met reizigers op een ezel 1850s

This landscape with travellers on a donkey was made by Carl Federle. Here, the palm tree is a striking motif, often symbolizing paradise, triumph, and eternal life. Its presence echoes through centuries of art, from ancient Egyptian depictions of fertile lands to Christian art representing martyrdom and spiritual victory. We see it even in contemporary contexts, where its meaning has shifted to concepts of leisure and exotic travel. This is particularly relevant given the travellers on donkeys. These figures recall earlier depictions of the Flight into Egypt, a recurring theme in art history, where the donkey symbolizes humility and the journey towards safety and salvation. The palm, therefore, not only situates the scene geographically but also taps into our collective memory, evoking layered meanings from religious hope to the promise of earthly paradise. It engages us on a subconscious level, connecting disparate times and places in a non-linear progression of symbolic thought.