Boats at Saintes-Maries 1888

Here, in Van Gogh's drawing of boats at Saintes-Maries, we see symbols of passage, and the sea, rendered with an almost feverish intensity. Boats, since antiquity, have been more than mere transport; they evoke journeys into the unknown, life's voyages. The turbulent sea is depicted with restless lines. The water reminds us of the archetype of the 'primal waters'— a symbol of the unconscious, and the source of all life, but also chaos and danger. We see such a motif echoed across time, from ancient Babylonian myths of the sea god Tiamat to Renaissance allegories. Think of the 'ship of fools,' an ancient literary motif where a ship full of madmen becomes a metaphor for society adrift. Van Gogh’s rendering of the boats upon this expressive sea engages us on a deep, subconscious level, evoking feelings of vulnerability and the power of nature. The sea and boats; symbols of human navigation through the vicissitudes of existence. They recur, transform, and take on new emotional resonance across the ages.