Landschap met varkenshoeder en landschap met ruiter 1768

These are two landscape etchings by Jacob Cats, created sometime in the late 18th century. Each features figures amidst trees, one with a swineherd and the other with a rider. Notice how the trees arch, embracing the human figures within their branches. The tree, a symbol of life and knowledge, has roots in ancient mythologies. Consider the Tree of Life, the axis mundi, or the World Tree, common across cultures, connecting the earthly with the divine. The rider, the swineherd—archetypes that resonate through centuries. The swineherd, tending to his flock, evokes images of pastoral innocence, harking back to classical idylls, while the rider suggests movement, adventure, and perhaps the solitary hero. These figures resurface time and again, embodying our collective desires, fears, and memories. Their reappearance speaks to the cyclical nature of history, the unconscious persistence of certain symbols, and their potential to provoke powerful, deeply felt responses within us.