The Bay of New York Looking to the Narrows and Staten Island, Taken from Brooklyn Heights 1820 - 1825

William Guy Wall painted ‘The Bay of New York Looking to the Narrows and Staten Island, Taken from Brooklyn Heights’ using watercolor and graphite. A dominant image in this piece is that of the ship, a powerful symbol of exploration and commerce. Ships like these appear throughout history, from ancient Egyptian funerary boats carrying souls to the afterlife, to Viking longboats, symbols of conquest. The ship here harkens back to the Age of Exploration, evoking a collective memory of journeys to new lands. The ship, as a motif, connects to the human psyche's deep desire for discovery and transformation. This resonates with the psychological concept of the 'archetypal journey' where embarking on a voyage often represents overcoming obstacles, facing the unknown, and seeking personal growth. The ship motif has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings through history, as it will continue to do in the future.