Gezicht op Napels 1675 - 1750

Caspar van Wittel painted this view of Naples using oil on canvas. The city, with its robust harbor, unfolds before us as a stage for maritime activity, dominated by the presence of ships. The ship is a potent symbol, isn't it? It hearkens back to ancient times, evoking journeys of trade, exploration, and sometimes, conquest. Consider the Argo of Jason and the Golden Fleece or the ships of the Roman Empire; vessels have always signified the crossing of boundaries, both physical and metaphorical. Note the different sizes of ships. Smaller ones ferry people from ship to shore like in ancient Egyptian funerary boats carrying souls across the waters of the afterlife. This motif transcends eras, a testament to our collective memory of traversing the unknown, mirroring our individual voyages through life. The water represents our subconscious. The image touches on the deep-seated human desire for movement and discovery, continually reinvented across centuries.