Gezicht op de Spaansekade te Rotterdam 1855

Adolf Carel Nunnink created this print of the Spaansekade in Rotterdam, rendered in soft gray tones. Notice the masts of the ships reaching skyward like supplicating arms. They remind us of votive offerings, reaching up to the heavens, mirroring similar motifs in ancient votive statues. Consider how such forms re-emerge in varied contexts. Think of the obelisks of ancient Egypt, symbols of power and reaching for immortality, now echoed in the humble masts of these Dutch vessels. The sea, too, speaks to our subconscious—a vast, unknowable realm, reminiscent of the waters that bore Venus in Botticelli's famous painting. In this quiet harbor scene, Nunnink taps into the collective memory, evoking a sense of timelessness, where each ship is a vessel navigating not only water but also the currents of history itself. This echoes and amplifies the emotional power embedded in simple, everyday scenes.