Landscape with Draw-Well 1638 - 1660

Cornelis Galle I created this landscape with a draw-well using engraving techniques. Note how the well, the pastoral animals and, most notably, the rising sun are featured in the image. In many cultures, the sun is seen as a symbol of life, rebirth, and enlightenment, often associated with deities or spiritual awakenings. This symbol has its roots in ancient Egypt with the sun god Ra, and it recurs in ancient Greece with Apollo. Even in our modern subconscious, it is a potent force for optimism. The draw-well is of a similar non-linear trajectory. It is a symbol of community and sustenance and a connection between the surface world and the hidden depths. The well brings to mind images of the "Fons Juventatis" where the water offers healing and youth and the maternal symbol of the vessel which Carl Jung used to represent the unconscious and the self. These symbols have been passed down through history, evolving and taking on new meanings in different contexts, demonstrating the cyclical progression of symbols.