Figuren met vaarbomen op een drijvend vlonder 1831 - 1904

Arnoud Schaepkens created this small artwork, "Figures with punting poles on a floating raft," using etching, an engraving technique. The poles stand upright, evoking a sense of collective navigation, a primal struggle against the waters. Consider the recurring motif of the staff or rod in ancient mythology. From Moses parting the Red Sea to Hermes guiding souls, the staff symbolizes power, authority, and passage through uncertain realms. We see the same in this composition. The raft itself, a humble vessel, echoes the Ark, a sanctuary amidst chaos, carrying the promise of survival. The raft could be read as the ship of fools, adrift with its motley crew in search of salvation. The act of navigation, rendered with such stark simplicity, taps into our shared cultural memory. It is a reflection on the human spirit, forever seeking, forever striving to find our way, no matter how precarious the means.