Wachtende rijtuigen op de Victoria Embankment in Londen c. 1890 - 1908

Willem Witsen etched "Waiting Carriages on the Victoria Embankment in London," capturing a fragment of London's essence. The horse-drawn carriage, more than mere transport, symbolizes status and societal division. Consider how the motif of the horse, a symbol of power and virility since antiquity, is harnessed here to serve urban life. We see echoes of equestrian statues of emperors, yet humbled, domesticated. Observe how the reflection of the street blurs forms, and the mist softens the street lamps' light. This isn't just a scene but an evocation of a mood. The motif of reflection isn't new. Narcissus gazed into the water, captivated by his image, and this act is a primal confrontation with the self. Here, the city mirrors itself, doubling the world in a watery dream. The carriages waiting in the rain are loaded with expectation and anticipation, triggering a psychological dance of attraction and repulsion. The past is never dead; it's not even past. These symbols repeat and evolve, ever entwined in our subconscious.