Mozes in een mand op de Nijl c. 1720

Bernard Baron rendered this print, “Moses in a Basket on the Nile,” sometime between 1696 and 1762. Here, the infant Moses is afloat among the reeds of the Nile, observed by two women. This scene encapsulates a potent moment of vulnerability and divine intervention. Consider the image of a child adrift. It appears across cultures, symbolizing abandonment, hope, and the potential for a new beginning. This motif echoes in stories like that of Romulus and Remus, also abandoned near a river, who went on to found Rome. The act of placing a child in water, entrusting them to fate, elicits deep-seated fears and hopes. Water, a symbol of both destruction and purification, adds layers of psychological complexity. The women watching over Moses evoke themes of maternal care and divine protection. The recurring image of the child adrift speaks to our collective unconscious, embodying humanity's enduring quest for salvation and renewal. These symbols highlight the cyclical nature of history, where similar motifs resurface, transformed yet fundamentally resonant, across different eras and cultures.