Kaart met ontwerp voor een haven op Texel 1671 - 1690

This anonymous map presents a plan for a harbor in Texel. Dominating the view is a compass rose, a symbol that, since antiquity, has guided sailors and charted new worlds. Consider the compass rose not merely as a tool for navigation but as a potent symbol of human ambition and discovery. We see echoes of this motif in the elaborate wind roses of medieval maps, which often depicted cherubic faces blowing winds from various directions. The rose has evolved over time, from its early symbolic use in religious contexts to its role in secular exploration, yet it always retains a sense of direction and purpose. It signifies a collective yearning to understand and master our environment. The compass rose speaks to our primal urge to explore, to push beyond the known. It is a poignant symbol of our unyielding desire to find our place in the world.