Figuren op een bevroren rivier c. 1760

Franz Edmund Weirotter captured this scene, "Figures on a Frozen River," in an etching. Here, we see the symbolic dance of winter and the cyclical nature of life. Observe how Weirotter depicts figures moving across the ice, burdened with tasks yet engaged in leisure. This echoes ancient allegories of winter, representing both hardship and the quietude of nature's rest. Even the bare trees, stark against the sky, suggest dormancy, reminiscent of classical depictions of Saturn, the god of time and decay. Consider, too, the lone figure struggling with a heavy load – a motif that recurs throughout art history, from depictions of Atlas bearing the world to Sisyphus endlessly pushing his boulder. It speaks to humanity's eternal struggle against the elements. As the frozen river suggests a world in stasis, let us remember that even in winter, the river flows beneath the ice, holding the promise of spring, a visual metaphor that reveals itself through our collective memory, urging us to recognise the continuous rhythm of change.