Boot liggend op de helling van een scheepstimmerwerf c. 1801 - 1873

Pieter George Westenberg sketched this boatyard scene with pen in grey ink. The boat, a potent symbol, rests upon the slipway. Since antiquity, boats have signified journeys and transitions; think of Charon ferrying souls across the River Styx, or the ship of the church guiding believers through life's stormy seas. Here, the vessel lies still, awaiting completion or repair. This invites contemplation about the cyclical nature of construction and decay. It echoes in ancient Egyptian beliefs, where boats carried the deceased pharaohs on their voyage to the afterlife. The psychological resonance of this image lies in its depiction of a pause. The stillness evokes a deep sense of introspection, inviting us to reflect on our own life journeys. These recurring motifs are not linear, but constantly resurface, transformed by the passage of time and collective human experience.