Twee spelende kinderen aan zee 1922

Otto Verhagen captures with pencil on paper two children playing by the sea. Notice the bucket the children drag behind them as they walk along the shoreline. The bucket, a simple vessel, resonates with a deep history. From ancient wells to modern constructions, the bucket is a symbol of containment and the harnessing of resources. We see echoes of this primal act throughout art history, from biblical scenes of Rebecca at the well to depictions of laborers drawing water. The image of children on the beach is similarly an ancient image, evocative of freedom and discovery. We see it recurring in art and photography across cultures, each time imbued with its own cultural values and emotional significance. Like a recurring dream, it surfaces and resurfaces, each iteration bearing the marks of its time.