Drie reizigers vragen de weg aan een oude boerin 1832

This print, made by Nicolas Toussaint Charlet, depicts three travelers seeking direction from an old peasant woman. The most striking symbol here is the act of seeking guidance itself. In antiquity, supplication was often represented through raised hands or kneeling, gestures that conveyed vulnerability. Here, the travelers' posture, their leaning in towards the woman, echoes this ancient plea for help. The motif of the wise elder, often a woman, appears across cultures. Think of the Oracle at Delphi or the Sibyls of classical mythology, figures who held knowledge of the paths, both literal and metaphorical. The woman's position at the window evokes a sense of being both within and apart from the world. This liminal space—neither fully inside nor outside—suggests a connection to unseen knowledge. The exchange between travelers and the woman taps into our collective subconscious, reminding us of our shared human experience of seeking direction. It resonates on a primal level.