Twee meisjes en een soldaat op de aanlegsteiger bij Calais 1827

This is a lithograph of two girls and a soldier at the pier in Calais by Victor Adam. Here, the pier itself becomes a stage where the drama of human interaction unfolds. Note how the soldier stands at attention, a symbol of duty and order, yet his gaze seems to wander. Consider the kerchiefs worn by the women, a common motif throughout art history. In earlier Renaissance paintings, a similar head covering can denote modesty, piety, or even mourning. But here, these kerchiefs, while retaining a sense of traditional attire, also hint at regional identity, of belonging to this specific coastal community. The telescope used by the man at the end of the pier is a symbol of discovery, but it also suggests a subconscious desire to anticipate the future and prepare for any unforeseen circumstances. The pier as a threshold—a liminal space between land and sea—evokes the collective human desire to explore the unknown, yet also speaks to the inherent anxieties of venturing into uncharted territories. The themes of connection and separation resonate across time, continuously mirroring our own emotional and psychological landscapes.