Reparatie van een roeiboot aan de oever van een rivier 1847 - 1909

Editor: This etching, "Repairing a Rowboat on the Riverbank," is attributed to Edgar Alfred Baes, dating from 1847 to 1909. I’m immediately struck by its turbulent mood. What symbols or visual language stands out to you? Curator: The immediate symbolic language revolves around the water, doesn't it? Its agitated state often represents emotional turmoil or the unconscious. Consider the cultural memory associated with water – cleansing, rebirth, but also danger and the unknown. Editor: That's fascinating. So the rough water paired with the small boat speaks to struggle, perhaps? Curator: Precisely! The act of repairing, though, injects an element of hope and resilience. Do you notice anything else that provides a sense of directionality, perhaps? Editor: Yes! The line of lightning and bright moon offset all of the black ink strokes. Do you think that Romanticism focused on conveying human emotion rather than an external observation of the natural world? Curator: Good eye! Indeed. And in a way, Baes evokes a feeling and shows a certain subjective state, while at the same time conveying universality, inviting all viewers into it by using recognizable archetypes and experiences, no? This print seems to be reminding us that, while existence is an unending struggle, its repair and continuity, is what matters. Editor: I hadn’t considered how the universal can be contained in the personal! Thank you! Curator: My pleasure! Seeing connections – between image, emotion, and memory – enriches our understanding.