De vloot voor de rede van Annobón, 1605 1644 - 1646

This engraving, dating from 1605, depicts a fleet before the harbor of Annobón. The most striking symbols here are the ships themselves, instruments of trade, exploration, and, undeniably, domination. Consider the ship as a vessel, not just for goods and people, but for ideas and cultural symbols, traversing oceans just as readily as mythic images cross the landscape of our collective memory. The sea, too, bears its own weight of symbolism. From the ancient Mediterranean to the waters charted by these Dutch ships, it represents both the source of life and an untamable, chaotic force. These ships, cutting through the waves, echo the heroic journey, a motif found in the voyages of Odysseus, or Jason and the Argonauts. The progression of this symbol is non-linear, cyclical even, as it resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings in different historical contexts.