Dootje van Zijll de Jong en haar moeder Henriëtte Wassink op de pier van Scheveningen 1930 - 1935

This anonymous photograph captures Dootje van Zijll de Jong and her mother, Henriëtte Wassink, on Scheveningen Pier. Here, on this structure that extends the land, they are surrounded by the sea, a symbol rich with the depths of both consciousness and the unconscious. Consider the pier itself, a liminal space – neither fully land nor sea. It represents a bridge between the known and the unknown, a connection between safety and the potential danger of the waters. This motif is not new, but rooted in ancient cosmology, appearing in myths where bridges symbolize journeys to other realms. The pier as a man-made structure, therefore, illustrates humanity’s eternal quest to dominate nature, to master not just the earth but the subconscious depths of the sea. The sea, in turn, mirrors our collective unconscious, a realm of forgotten knowledge and repressed desires. Scheveningen Pier, then, is a place of encounter, where we meet face to face with our hidden selves, confronted by the emotional power of the unknown. This cyclical theme – the pier extending into the sea, humanity reaching into the unconscious – resurfaces again and again, constantly evolving and taking on new meanings, reminding us of our eternal quest to understand ourselves and our place in the world.