Gezicht op een beekje in de buurt van Waltham, Massachusetts before 1879

Here we see two albumen prints by Thomas R. Lewis, capturing scenes of a brook near Waltham, Massachusetts. The tranquil stream, bathed in dappled light filtering through the trees, is a powerful symbol of nature's purity. But consider how this idyllic motif has been charged over time. From the classical landscapes of Claude Lorrain, where water symbolizes the ebb and flow of destiny, to the Romantic visions of Caspar David Friedrich, where it reflects the soul's longing for the infinite. We see such longing in these scenes as well. This symbolism is not linear but cyclical. In periods of upheaval, the image of water often resurfaces as a potent emblem of renewal and purification. Recall the medieval allegories where the river Styx marked the passage to the afterlife, or the Renaissance fountains that celebrated the life-giving power of water, which now appears in a much more modest, and arguably more personal, format. Perhaps the artist felt this image embodied the collective memory of the restorative powers of nature.