Wassende maan c. 1866 - 1880

This photograph of the waxing moon was captured by Warren De La Rue, using an original negative by Smith, Beck & Beck. Here, the moon, a symbol laden with ancient significance, appears as a sliver of light against the infinite dark, embodying cycles of time and the rhythm of life. This celestial body, since antiquity, has mirrored human emotions, perceived not merely as a distant sphere, but as an emblem of change and transformation. Consider the lunar goddess—Selene for the Greeks, Luna for the Romans—a divine presence steering her chariot across the night sky. This motif of the moon guiding or influencing terrestrial events resurfaces in countless narratives, symbolizing the ebb and flow of human destiny. The moon, therefore, engages us on a subconscious level, reminding us of the transient nature of existence.