Menigte in het Stadhuis op de Dam, 1787 1787

This print by Willem Kok captures a crowd scene inside Amsterdam’s City Hall in 1787. At the top, poised above the crowd, is a statue of Atlas, a titan condemned to hold up the celestial heavens for eternity. Consider Atlas, less as a mere mythological figure, and more as an enduring symbol of perseverance and burden, and of the weight of responsibility, a motif stretching back to antiquity. Atlas appears across time, a symbol not just of physical endurance but of the psychological and emotional toll of unending obligations. The presence of Atlas here, overlooking a contentious gathering, speaks volumes. It is a reference to burdens past and present, and invites viewers to reflect on what burdens they carry, both personally and collectively. These symbols tap into what Carl Jung called the collective unconscious, accessing primal memories and archetypes that resonate across cultures and eras. The statue above this crowd becomes a mirror, reflecting our own struggles with duty. Thus, the image of Atlas resurfaces, each time imbued with new layers of meaning, its ancient origins now intertwined with the modern psyche.