Gezicht op een kasteel met toegangsbrug 1562 - 1601

This print by Johannes or Lucas van Doetechum offers us a vision of a castle with an access bridge. Atop the castle, we see a statue, seemingly of Poseidon, trident in hand, a powerful symbol dominating the composition. Consider the trident itself. It’s not merely a weapon, but a scepter of dominion over the seas. In classical antiquity, Poseidon's trident symbolized power over the aquatic realm, capable of stirring storms and quelling them. We see echoes of this symbol in later works, like Bernini’s Neptune, where the trident signifies authority. Observe how the artist places this figure atop the castle, blending the aquatic with the terrestrial. This fusion speaks to the human psyche's inherent longing to master nature, a desire perhaps rooted in a primordial fear of its untamed power. In this context, the trident is more than just a symbol; it's a manifestation of humanity's complex relationship with the world, a recurring motif in art that engages our collective memory.