Vissersboot met figuren 1822 - 1893

This sketch of a fishing boat with figures was made by Willem Troost in the 19th century. Note the strong lines of the mast, the spars, and the rigging, cutting through the sky like the threads of fate. The boat, throughout history, carries deep symbolic weight. Think of the Ship of Fools, or Charon ferrying souls across the river Styx. The vessel is not merely a mode of transport, but a symbol of life's journey, fraught with peril, guided by forces beyond our control. In the Christian context, the boat represents the Church, navigating the seas of earthly existence. Observe the vulnerability of the vessel, tossed about on the waters. It evokes a primal fear of being lost, adrift, subject to the whims of nature. This collective anxiety surfaces across eras, from ancient votive ship offerings to contemporary film. The journey is never linear. These symbols resurface, evolve, and are continually reinterpreted.