Mannen aan wal wijzend naar schepen op het water 1627 - 1636

This is Wenceslaus Hollar’s etching, “Men on shore pointing to ships on the water,” now held in the Rijksmuseum. Notice the men standing on the shore, one of them pointing towards the ships at sea. The act of pointing—a simple gesture—carries profound weight across cultures and epochs. In antiquity, a pointing finger might denote divine intervention or the revelation of truth, as seen in classical depictions of philosophers imparting wisdom. Consider, too, how the motif reappears in religious art, where saints or prophets point towards the heavens, directing the gaze of the faithful towards spiritual enlightenment. Yet, the interpretation shifts with context. Here, it speaks to curiosity, aspiration, or perhaps even longing for distant shores. The act of pointing transcends mere direction; it embodies human desire to connect with the unknown, a potent symbol passed down through history, each time imbued with new layers of meaning and emotion.