In de katoenververij 1868 - 1892

Anthon Gerhard Alexander van Rappard’s drawing captures the toil and struggle of labor, showing the inside of a cotton dyeing mill. The most striking element is the worker turning the heavy wheel. The wheel, an ancient symbol of fortune, fate, and the cyclical nature of life, takes on a poignant resonance here. From the Buddhist Dharma wheel, symbolizing spiritual law and transformation, to the medieval Wheel of Fortune, the wheel has long signified the turning of events. The presence of this symbol is striking. However, here it is divested of any celestial or divine association. Instead, it becomes an instrument of labor, turned by human hands. This motif recalls the myth of Sisyphus, doomed to roll a boulder uphill for eternity. In Rappard’s image, the act of turning the wheel embodies the weight of human existence, a psychological burden passed down through time, now made mundane in the modern labor. The dark, somber tones evoke a sense of confinement, engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. The turning wheel has thus resurfaced, evolving from a divine symbol to an emblem of labor, underscoring the ever-shifting, cyclical progression of symbols across time and culture.