Drie schelpen bij een Delftse plooischotel 1867 - 1935

Maurits van der Valk’s watercolor depicts three shells arranged next to a Delft plate. Shells, simple objects, are anything but mute, they whisper tales of cultural exchange and artistic fascination. Think of Botticelli's Venus, born from a scallop shell, an embodiment of divine beauty and the power of the sea. Here, in Van der Valk’s still life, the shells lack such overt symbolism, yet their presence evokes a similar sense of wonder. These shells, once living homes, now stand as silent witnesses to the passage of time. The spiral form, echoed in the shells, is a motif that recurs throughout human history, from ancient labyrinths to the architecture of our own brains, representing growth, evolution, and the cyclical nature of existence. A psychological link ties us to these forms, stirring subconscious memories of our origins, the sea from which all life emerged. The enduring allure of shells, captured here in delicate watercolor, speaks to our innate human drive to collect, categorize, and find meaning in the natural world. It is a legacy passed down, a cultural echo resonating through time.