Gezicht op de aankomst van de Fransen in de haven te Cayenne voor de oprichting van een nieuwe nederzetting 1762

This print by Basset depicts the arrival of the French in Cayenne, heralding the establishment of a new colony. The ships, symbols of passage and dominion, dominate the harbor, while the rocky archway frames the scene, reminiscent of triumphal arches known since antiquity. The arch, often a symbol of transition and passage, recurs in Roman gateways and Renaissance paintings, each time carrying the weight of aspiration and the promise of a new era. Consider how this motif has morphed, sometimes representing victory, sometimes merely a threshold. Subconsciously, we associate it with progress and breakthroughs. Here, it is tied to the complicated and multifaceted concept of colonialism: the optimism of new beginnings, the assertion of power, and the subjugation that shadows every conquest. This rocky gateway invites us to consider the cyclical, often contradictory, narratives embedded in our shared visual lexicon, a constant evolution of meaning echoing through the corridors of time.