Vissersboot met hangend net c. 1649 - 1656

Caspar van den Bos etched this small print of fishing boats, capturing a quiet moment at sea. The symbol of the boat, heavily laden with its catch and crew, speaks to enduring themes of labor and survival. The fishing net, a delicate yet crucial instrument, evokes humanity’s reliance on the natural world. Consider the image of the boat itself: throughout history, the boat is a vessel, carrying not just people, but also ideas across the sea of time. We see echoes of this in ancient Egyptian funerary boats, transporting souls to the afterlife, or the ship of the church, guiding believers through life’s turbulent waters. The sea, with all its might, is a symbol of the unknown and the subconscious. This humble fishing boat, then, bravely confronts these forces, evoking a deep, primal response within us. The quiet, somber tones might stir within us the collective memories of those who have toiled and risked their lives on the water. Thus, the symbol of the fishing boat, like a recurring dream, reappears across cultures, ever shifting, yet forever anchored to our shared human experience.