Portret van een meisje met mand 1864 - 1880

This photograph, captured by Friedrich Julius von Kolkow, features a young girl with a basket. The basket, brimming with unseen contents, is a vessel, laden with symbolic weight that transcends mere utility. Consider how the image of a basket appears in other contexts. In ancient Greece, baskets were part of ceremonial processions, such as the Panathenaic procession, often carried by young women. The basket could signify offerings to the gods or provisions for a journey. This motif recurs in Christian art, where baskets of fruit symbolize abundance and divine favor, like the overflowing cornucopia, an emblem of prosperity. The girl's composed demeanor hints at an inner world, a powerful force engaging viewers on a subconscious level. The basket, therefore, is more than a simple object; it is a repository of history, culture, and the enduring human desire for meaning and connection across generations. This symbol has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.