Boot op rivier wordt volgeladen 1843 - 1845

Paulus Lauters created this river scene with etching and burin. Note the act of loading the boat, a motif echoing across time. We see it in ancient Egyptian tomb paintings, where boats carried the dead to the afterlife, and later in Viking ships, laden with warriors and treasures. Here, however, the boat serves a more earthly purpose, laden with goods for trade. Yet, like its predecessors, it speaks to a journey, a transition from one place to another, one state to another. The act of loading itself, of transferring weight from land to water, evokes the scales of justice, the balance of life. This archetypal image resurfaces in various guises, constantly reflecting our collective yearning for balance and passage through life's currents. It speaks to the deep psychological need to see the world in order, providing comfort and structure.