Ung pige og gammel kone hjælpes af en mand ned i en gondol 1810 - 1873

This sketch, by Wilhelm Marstrand, captures a scene in Venice, with a young girl and an old woman being assisted into a gondola. The old woman, veiled and carrying a basket, evokes the ancient motif of the crone, a figure representing wisdom, but also the inevitable decay of the body. Consider the veil: a symbol deeply rooted in cultural memory, appearing in countless contexts from religious iconography to secular portraiture. The veil serves as a barrier, obscuring yet hinting at what lies beneath, prompting a psychological tension between concealment and revelation. The gondola, a uniquely Venetian vessel, is more than mere transport; it’s a floating stage for social interactions and intimate encounters, each journey on it is a silent passage through the city's watery veins. This transit, facilitated by the man, echoes the ancient theme of guidance through life’s passages. The cyclical nature of life, from youth to old age, mirrors the endless turning of the water. These symbols remind us that what once was will always find a way to resurface.