Bassin met vier lobben 1664

This anonymous print depicts a fountain with four lobes. Water, the lifeblood of civilization, gushes upwards, recalling the life-giving power of ancient river gods. Consider how the fountain motif has flowed through art history, from the elaborate displays of power in Versailles to the simple, meditative fountains of ancient Roman courtyards. The upward surge of water, often associated with spiritual purification and renewal, echoes the “Urpflanze,” the archetypal plant form that Goethe envisioned as the source of all botanical diversity. The fountain, therefore, becomes a symbol of continuous creation and transformation, a testament to the cyclical nature of life itself. It serves as a cultural conduit, channeling humanity’s enduring fascination with water as both a source of sustenance and a symbol of the subconscious depths. The fountain, a stage for display of the most basic of all needs: water, the origin of life.