Gezicht op de Dande before 1886

José Augusto da Cunha Moraes captured this "View of the Dande" in a photograph, presenting a landscape dominated by the sinuous form of a river. This meandering river is an ancient symbol, the river of life, a motif that stretches back to the earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The river, or serpent, signifies not just a source of sustenance but also the cyclical nature of time, the continuous flow of existence itself. Think of the Ouroboros, the serpent eating its own tail, a symbol of eternity and the perpetual return. As civilizations rise and fall, the river persists, a silent witness to the unfolding drama of human history. This image resonates on a primal level, evoking a sense of continuity. It whispers of the enduring power of nature, a force that shapes our world and our collective unconscious.