Commissie voor Aangehouden Lading 1940 1940

Editor: So, here we have "Commissie voor Aangehouden Lading 1940," a bronze relief from 1940 by Johannes Cornelis Wienecke. It looks almost like a medieval coin or seal, and there's this tension between the industrial scene and the classical imagery that makes me wonder about its message. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The symbolism here is incredibly dense. Consider the trident, usually an attribute of Neptune, the god of the sea, but here it rises menacingly from turbulent waters through the center of a harbor scene in full swing. The “Commission for Detained Cargo” of the title is referenced in a very indirect manner, so how does it sit within the imagery, do you think? Editor: Perhaps the trident suggests the commission’s power to control the seas and, therefore, trade? Like they are gripping trade itself? Curator: Precisely. Wienecke seems to be employing classical symbols to represent contemporary authority and perhaps even maritime dominion. Notice the hand grasping the trident, is it a God’s? Or just that of a regular human, an emblem of state power exerted on the waves? Editor: It doesn’t look godly, more like… armored, strong but mortal. It's quite a contrast, that hand and trident versus the modernity around it, the cranes and cargo. Curator: The juxtaposition is key. This tension between ancient symbols and the modern world really highlights a desire to establish continuity. To show power, timelessness, perhaps legitimacy during a very tumultuous time. Do you see the wave patterns, what might they represent to you? Editor: Maybe the chaotic and uncontrolled aspects of the war impacting maritime trade, in contrast to the ordered port? I didn’t catch that at first! Curator: These historical echoes within the symbolism offer a powerful lens to view the past and the present simultaneously. Editor: This really demonstrates how symbols can create complex and enduring narratives. I'll never look at a trident the same way.