Lagoon, Venice 

Muirhead Bone created this drawing of the Venetian lagoon using graphite. Water, often a symbol of purity and renewal, here becomes a stage for everyday life. Observe the man in his boat, rowing. This simple act echoes the ancient myth of Charon ferrying souls across the river Styx. From antiquity to the Renaissance, water transport motifs have been used to signify journeys, both literal and metaphorical. Think of Egyptian funerary boats carrying souls to the afterlife, or even the gondolas of Venice, symbols of passage and transition. The lagoon itself, with its blurred boundaries between water and sky, evokes a sense of the subconscious, a place of dreams and reflections. This Venetian scene is not merely a depiction of place, but also an invitation to contemplate the fluidity of time, how symbols resurface, evolve, and find new resonance across centuries.