Brief aan Juliana Charlotte Elisabeth Backhuijzen-Parmesant Possibly 1758

This letter, penned by Gerrit Backhuijzen in Rotterdam in 1730, overflows with symbols of its time. The very act of writing is itself a powerful gesture, a means of preserving thoughts and emotions across distances. Notice how Backhuijzen invokes Christian blessings, wishing that the Lord may guide Juliana's path. Such invocations were not mere formalities; they were earnest appeals to divine protection, reflecting a world steeped in religious faith. This harks back to ancient Roman votive offerings, where suppliants inscribed their hopes on tablets, seeking favor from the gods. But consider how this need for divine intervention also surfaces in the dream narratives of antiquity or even the protective spells of ancient Egypt. The underlying impulse remains constant: a deep-seated desire to control the uncertainties of life through symbolic action. This emotional undercurrent engages us even today, reminding us of the enduring human need for reassurance and connection in an unpredictable world. The symbols in this letter, like so many others, are not static artifacts but living testaments to our shared human experience.