Poon op zee en een klepschuit langs de waterkant 1827 - 1884

This lithograph by Johannes Cornelis van Pappelendam depicts two distinct types of boats on water. The Poons on the sea and a Klepschuit near the shore. Here, the sail is more than mere nautical technology. In ancient times, the sail bore the symbolic weight of destiny, a vessel navigating the seas of fate. One sees echoes of this in the ‘ship of fools’ imagery common in medieval art and literature, where the ship becomes a metaphor for humanity adrift, guided by folly rather than reason. In the lower scene, the ‘Klepschuit’ evokes a different sentiment. This flat-bottomed boat, close to the shore, with figures actively working around it, contrasts with the Poon. The boats on the sea evoke a deep, subconscious connection with the viewer, hinting at our ongoing dialogue between aspiration and the grounded realities of life. Thus, we see the cyclical journey of symbols, how they resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings across the epochs.