Twee mannen bij de wortels van een boom before 1892

This photograph captures two men at the roots of a tree in the Congo. The tree, with its exposed roots, is a striking symbol of the interconnectedness of life and the environment. The motif of roots extends far beyond this single image. We find it echoed in ancient myths where trees connect the underworld to the heavens, or in the family tree as a representation of ancestral lineage. Like the Rod of Asclepius, a symbol of medicine that has carried meaning from ancient Greece to our present time, it speaks to a deeply rooted human quest for knowledge and life. Here, the roots symbolize not only the grounding of nature but also the intertwining of cultural memory and identity. These images, charged with emotional and cultural significance, exert a powerful force on our subconscious. They are echoes of shared experiences, resonating across time and cultures. The tree's roots, reaching deep into the earth, and the Rod of Asclepius, are motifs of cyclical progression, resurfacing and evolving to take on new meanings in different historical contexts.