Mannen die tonnen lossen van een zeilschip 1797 - 1838

Johannes Christiaan Schotel created this pencil drawing of men unloading barrels from a sailing ship. The ship, with its intricate rigging, represents not just commerce, but also the perennial human drive to explore. Consider the ship's mast, an ancient symbol, appearing even in Egyptian obelisks. It evokes the axis mundi, the cosmic center connecting the earthly and the divine, symbolizing stability amidst the vast ocean. This symbol appears in many guises. Think of the Maypole, with its pagan associations, or the Christian cross, its own vertical axis representing sacrifice and redemption. Note the recurring symbolic weight of these vertical structures. From pagan totems to religious icons, such forms tap into our collective psyche, offering a stable point in an unstable world. The ship, and the mast it carries, are the vehicles for this continuity, bridging epochs and cultures.