Briefhoofd voor het departement Seine-Inférieure 1800 - 1850

This is an engraving titled "Briefhoofd voor het departement Seine-Inférieure" by E. Besnard. We see a female figure, a classical personification of the Seine, cradling a vessel from which water flows. The river goddess archetype is ancient, a motif stretching back to antiquity, embodying the life-giving and generative force of water. Consider how, in ancient Greece, rivers were often depicted as gods, their images appearing on coins and in sculptures, always connected to ideas of fertility and abundance. Yet, the modern eye might also see in this figure echoes of melancholy, a subtle acknowledgement of the river’s vulnerability amidst urban and industrial expansion. The flowing water connects to our collective memory of the natural world, a visual echo through centuries. The motif of the river goddess resurfaces time and again, a testament to our enduring, subconscious recognition of nature's power and fragility. These archetypes convey intense emotional states, and are a powerful force engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. The symbol has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.