Hier hebt gy 't leven en bedrijf / Van Jan de Wasser en zijn wijf 1728 - 1759

This print by Hendrik Walpot, titled 'The Life and Work of Jan de Wasser and His Wife,' presents us with a sequence of domestic scenes, a common subject in its time. However, it is the recurrence of certain domestic motifs across cultures that captures my attention. Consider the image of cleaning. Here, we see Jan scrubbing, a scene of daily life, yes, but also an echo of the ritualistic cleansing seen in ancient Roman mosaics. These motifs, appearing in vastly different contexts, resonate with a primal, shared experience, a subconscious connection. These repeated gestures are laden with deep psychological significance. From ancient rituals to modern-day practices, the act of cleansing carries a weight of purification and renewal. In Walpot’s work, it taps into this collective memory, evoking a sense of order emerging from chaos, a constant theme in the human experience. Thus, the symbols of everyday life are not static, but rather echoes in an ongoing cultural conversation. These motifs reappear, evolve, and take on new meanings across time, demonstrating the enduring power of visual language to engage our minds and emotions.