Waterval in Gers en vrouwen wassen kleding aan de oever van het Canal de la Robine in Narbonne, Frankrijk before 1896

These two untitled photographs, presented together, capture scenes along the Canal de la Robine in France. Water, in both images, is the dominant motif—cascading over stones in one, flowing calmly through a city in the other. Throughout art history, water symbolizes purification, renewal, and the unconscious. Think of baptisms or nymphs bathing in idyllic landscapes, motifs that reappear across centuries. Here, its presence suggests not just physical cleanliness, as women wash clothes, but also a deeper, perhaps subconscious, yearning for spiritual cleansing. This act of communal washing beside the water also holds its own symbolism. It resonates with images of nymphs and deities, reminding us of classical notions of purity and collective rituals. This photo does not merely capture a mundane chore. Instead, it invokes these historical and cultural connections, engaging the viewer on a deep, subconscious level through the timeless language of symbols. The image transforms a simple scene into a profound statement about human connection with nature.