Tekening ('La mer calme') in de stijl van Claude-Joseph Vernet c. 1855

Eduard Isaac Asser created this drawing, "La mer calme" in the style of Claude-Joseph Vernet. We see a serene seascape, dominated by a sturdy tower beside a placid sea. The tower, an ancient symbol of strength and vigilance, recurs throughout art history. Consider the Tower of Babel—an attempt to reach the divine, ultimately leading to confusion. Yet, the tower in this drawing doesn't convey hubris; instead, it exudes stability. This juxtaposition illustrates the complex life of symbols: their meanings are never fixed but are always contextual and evolving. The calm sea, mirroring the tower's stoicism, induces a psychological state of contemplation. It invites us to reflect on the primal human connection to water and the subconscious peace it evokes. The motifs of the tower and sea, recurring through time, reveal how cultural memory shapes our emotional responses, continuously resurfacing and adapting in each new vision.