Tetiaroa - Un lagon des Paumotu 1880s - 1890s

Charles Spitz captured this image of Tetiaroa’s lagoon with gelatin silver print, immortalizing the South Pacific landscape. Dominating the composition are the palm trees, a symbol deeply rooted in cultural memory. Consider the palm’s presence not merely as botanical, but as a marker of paradise, sustenance, and triumph. We see echoes of this in ancient Roman art, where palms signified victory, adorning coins and monuments. Here, the palm fronds frame the lagoon, mirroring the classical motif of nature as a celebratory backdrop. Reflections in the water add another layer. Water, the source of life and renewal, is a powerful subconscious draw, a symbol used from ancient Egyptian art to Renaissance paintings. The doubling of the palms through reflection engages our subconscious, enhancing the emotional weight of the scene. Like all symbols, these are not static. They evolve, are reinterpreted and adapted over time. This cyclical progression echoes the way images resonate and resurface, constantly reinventing themselves in our collective consciousness.