Zeelieden aan de waterkant en mannen beladen een ezel 1650 - 1695

Anthony van Zijlvelt’s etching captures the lively harbor scene through its central motif, the barrel. These vessels, marked with the merchant’s insignia, go beyond mere containers; they represent the lifeblood of commerce. Consider the image of the barrel, which we find used to carry wine throughout the ancient Mediterranean. Yet here, the humble barrel carries not Dionysus's revelry, but trade, industry, and the tangible stuff of everyday life. See the barrels, now bulging with goods, loaded with considerable effort upon the back of the beast of burden. These motifs speak to a deep, subconscious understanding of material exchange, a cultural memory etched in our minds. The barrel, like the ship, becomes a symbol of transportation and transformation, a powerful force in the economic engine of the 17th century. These barrels resurface through history, each era imbuing them with new significance. Notice, then, the barrel as a potent symbol of continuity and change.