Kinderen vallen uit een wagen c. 1850 - 1880

This photograph, by an unknown hand, captures a disquieting scene: children tumbling from a carriage, a symbol steeped in layered meanings. Consider the carriage, a vessel of conveyance but also vulnerability. Its presence evokes images of Fortuna's wheel—the capricious goddess of fate who elevates and dashes down without warning. In medieval allegories, the overturning wheel signified life's unpredictable nature. The children’s fall is a potent symbol of lost innocence. We can see echoes of Icarus's fall from the sky, a timeless motif of overreach and inevitable consequence, passed down to us. This seemingly simple tableau resonates with collective anxieties about protection, control, and the precariousness of life itself. It reminds us that beneath the surface of everyday scenes lie the ever-present undercurrents of human experience. The image is a stark reminder of life's fragility and the constant dance between order and chaos.