Gezicht op de Oudegracht te Utrecht before 1894

This photogravure by Charles L. Mitchell presents a placid view of the Oudegracht canal in Utrecht. The canal itself acts as a mirror, doubling the architectural forms above, a motif that has appeared across epochs. Consider how Narcissus, in his fateful gaze upon his reflection, was consumed by an image. The tranquil surface here stirs similar depths; the unconscious attraction to reflections and the self-awareness they provoke. The buildings, lining the canal, are stoic witnesses, their repeated forms echoing a societal structure. Much like the ordered ranks of soldiers in ancient Roman reliefs or the structured facades of Renaissance palaces, these buildings represent a certain control over the natural world. They project a need for order and permanence against the unpredictable flow of life, or, in this case, water. The reflection on the water is a reminder of life’s transient nature. Even as forms persist, their representation is always in flux.