Gezicht op de Pont Royal over de rivier de Seine te Parijs, gezien richting de Pont Neuf 1749

Robert Sayer’s print captures the Pont Royal over the Seine in Paris with a gaze towards the Pont Neuf. Water, ever flowing, is the image's heart. Rivers, like life itself, connect disparate shores, carrying commerce and culture. Here, the Seine is not just a geographical feature, but a symbol of Parisian identity. Across time, water has signified purification and rebirth, as seen in ancient baptismal rites and mythological rivers like the Styx. Notice how the bridges, as arteries of urban life, echo the Pont d’Avignon. As connections between banks, they mirror the recurring human desire to connect and transcend the divides between people and places. Bridges also symbolize transitions, from earthly to spiritual realms or between states of being, a notion found in countless myths and legends across civilizations. Sayer's Pont Royal invites us to ponder the non-linear progression of symbols, how they resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts. These motifs engage our subconscious, reminding us of the timeless currents that flow beneath the surface of everyday life.