Stony Clove, June 26, 1870; Landscape Composition (verso, from sketchbook) 1870

Jervis McEntee sketched "Stony Clove, June 26, 1870; Landscape Composition" with graphite in 1870. This drawing presents us with a seemingly simple, yet profoundly symbolic scene: a pool of water in a dense, verdant landscape. Water, in its myriad forms, has always held a significant place in the human psyche, from ancient myths of creation and destruction to its role in baptism and purification rituals. This pool, still and reflective, acts as a mirror, inviting us to contemplate the depths of our own selves. The motif of the mirror, or reflecting pool, reappears throughout art history; from Narcissus gazing into his own reflection to the Lady of the Lake offering Excalibur to Arthur. These images tap into a deeper, collective memory, reminding us of the human obsession with identity, truth, and destiny. Water can be a symbol of life, or the unknown, both drawing us in and causing fear. The landscape around the pool—trees, earth, and sky—frames our introspection, grounding us in nature's eternal cycles of birth, death, and rebirth, and the continuous reflection of such cycles in our lives.