A Sharp Turn, Cuernavaca 

Cadwallader Washburn made this print, "A Sharp Turn, Cuernavaca," employing stark lines to capture a landscape dominated by a river's bend. The river's sharp turn is an ancient symbol, appearing in countless cultures as the serpent, the Ouroboros, a continuous loop that speaks to cycles of life, death, and rebirth. Here, the river’s course, seemingly disrupted, yet flowing on, echoes this eternal return. Consider the serpent in ancient Greek mythology, associated with healing and transformation, or the dragon in Eastern traditions, embodying power and change. The collective memory embedded in these symbols engages our subconscious. We sense the landscape’s inherent dynamism, a flow interrupted, yet resolved in the continuous movement, prompting reflection on our own journeys and transformations. The river’s bend, therefore, is not merely a geographical feature, but a potent symbol that resurfaces, evolving and bearing new meaning across contexts, reminding us of life’s cyclical nature.