Visser met een mand op de rug 1862 - 1910

Alphonse Stengelin etched this image of a fisherman with a basket on his back, and right away, we are met with the image of burden. Consider the symbolism of the basket. This everyday object, laden with the day’s catch, echoes images of Atlas, the titan condemned to carry the world on his shoulders. But here, the fisherman’s burden is not mythical; it is the weight of daily toil. This bending posture under weight resonates across cultures, whether in images of laborers from ancient Egypt or depictions of Christ carrying the cross. The image speaks to the enduring human condition: the struggle against the weight of existence. Notice how Stengelin captures the man’s weary gait, the way his body bows under the load. It evokes a visceral, empathetic response in us. We recognize not just the fisherman’s physical strain but also the universal weight of life's demands. The image becomes a mirror, reflecting our own burdens, our own struggles, and our shared human experience. It is a scene forever imprinted in our collective memory.