Roeiboot met figuren op een rivier 1771 - 1802

This image, etched by Jan Izaak van Mansvelt, depicts figures in a rowboat on a river. Here, the river is not merely a body of water, but a symbol—a conduit of life and movement, reflecting both the sky above and the depths below. The boat, carrying its passengers, becomes an archetype—a vessel of passage, not unlike the ships found in ancient Egyptian funerary art, transporting souls across the waters of the afterlife. The act of rowing, propelling the boat forward, recalls the cyclical nature of existence. Consider how, in mythology, rivers often mark boundaries, thresholds between worlds. This scene evokes a sense of journey, perhaps hinting at life's transient nature, a theme that resurfaces throughout art history. This journey is not linear but a return, embodying the eternal dance of existence.