Landschap met houten bruggetje in octagonaal kader 1582 - 1700

This landscape with a wooden bridge, crafted by an anonymous hand, presents a scene teeming with symbolic weight. The bridge, a dominant motif, signifies passage and connection, a pathway between two realms. The bridge is not merely a physical structure; it resonates with the ancient symbolism of crossing over. One finds echoes of this in myths where bridges represent the transition from life to death, or from ignorance to enlightenment. Consider the Bifrost in Norse mythology, a bridge connecting Midgard, the world of humans, with Asgard, the realm of the gods. The octagonal frame is a less common but deliberate choice. The octagon, with its eight sides, might have been conceived as a transitional form between the square, symbolizing earthly matters, and the circle, associated with the divine. In the collective subconscious, such symbols stir deep-seated emotions, and act as potent psychological triggers, engaging us in the cyclical dance of time and memory. Through these persistent images, we are reminded of the eternal human journey.