Filistijnen dempen de putten uit jaloezie 1582 - 1613

Here we see Pieter van der Borcht's etching, depicting the Philistines jealously filling Abraham’s wells. The well, a symbol of life-giving water, is here an object of contention. Wells represent not only sustenance but also prosperity and divine blessing, and the act of filling them becomes an act of malice, a deliberate attempt to undermine and destroy. Consider other images throughout history where water sources become focal points of conflict: ancient battles fought over rivers, or the modern-day struggles for control over oil pipelines, the liquid lifeblood of industry. What surfaces is a recurring motif: control over essential resources as a means of exerting power. These acts, charged with primal emotions such as envy and greed, resonate across centuries. The act of spoiling the wells taps into a deep-seated fear of scarcity and the psychological impact of depriving others of their basic needs, powerfully engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. Thus the motif evolves, from literal wellsprings to symbols of broader existential struggles.