Meisje en jongen op een kade c. 1847 - 1863

Cornelis Petrus 't Hoen created this print of a girl and boy on a quay sometime in the 19th century. The image pulses with hidden life, its symbols resonating through time. Observe the basket. The girl’s basket, balanced gracefully on her head, isn't merely a container; it’s a vessel brimming with the weight of expectation, of labor, a symbol of her role in this small society. The second basket sits empty beside the boy, an echo of the first. The basket motif echoes across history, from the Minoan women carrying offerings, to the Christian imagery of the Nativity, its presence always signifying potential, provision, and burden. The basket traverses continents and epochs, accumulating layers of meaning and emotion. It is a silent carrier of unspoken stories. Consider the emotional weight each child bears, and how it affects our subconscious. A deep, unspoken connection emerges, linking us to the rhythms of life, and to the universal experience of humanity.