Herders in een haven, laden hun vee aan boord van een boot 1717 - 1783

This etching by Jacques Philippe Le Bas depicts herders loading livestock onto a boat in a bustling harbor. The animals being herded evoke the ancient motif of the pastoral journey, resonating deeply with themes of migration and transition. Throughout history, the herding of animals has symbolized the human relationship with nature and the cyclical rhythms of life. Think of the shepherd leading his flock, an image that has been repurposed and recontextualized in religious art as the Good Shepherd, guiding souls. In this harbor scene, the act of loading these creatures onto a boat introduces a critical shift. The journey by sea suggests both the potential for new beginnings and the inherent dangers of the unknown. Such depictions tap into our collective anxieties about travel and change, echoing in modern times with the mass migrations that define our era. The act of passage is a motif that speaks to the hope for renewal, and the subconscious fear that the past will be lost.