Lake Como, May 3, 1869 (verso, from sketchbook) 1869

Jervis McEntee captured Lake Como on May 3, 1869, in a graphite sketch. The lake, often seen as a symbol of tranquility, appears here charged with Romantic longing. A lone boat is visible on the lake. Boats, from Charon's ferry to Viking ships, have long represented journeys, both physical and spiritual, and passages between worlds. We can look back to the Renaissance, where a solitary boat in a painting by Raphael evokes a sense of melancholy and introspection. In McEntee's sketch, the boat’s presence stirs a deep, subconscious desire for exploration and escape, a reflection of the viewer's own yearning for emotional or spiritual fulfillment. The artist might not have been fully aware, but the act of sketching this scene was itself a form of navigating the waters of the mind. The symbol evolves, its essence of transition remaining constant, engaging our senses.