Boten op zee, vermoedelijk ter hoogte van Le Moulleau bij Arcachon 1897

This photograph captures boats on the sea off Le Moulleau near Arcachon. The sailing boat, its sails full, cuts a path through the water. Throughout history, the boat has symbolized journeys, both physical and spiritual. Think of the ship of the dead in ancient Egyptian funerary rites, or the voyage of the Argonauts in Greek mythology. The sea itself, often a symbol of the unconscious, can be traced back to ancient times in artworks like 'The Great Wave' by Hokusai, where the ocean shows a powerful and uncontrolled force. Here, the boat’s reflection ripples on the water, suggesting a doubling, a mirror of reality and potential illusion. There is a tension between the safety of the harbor and the peril of the open sea, a push and pull that elicits our deepest fears and desires. The journey continues, the boat drifts off into the horizon, carrying with it a cargo of symbols, fears, and hopes, each transformed by the journey itself.