Boston: From City Point near Sea Street 

William James Bennett rendered this aquatint, "Boston: From City Point near Sea Street," capturing the bustling port with its iconic windmill. This seemingly simple structure, historically a symbol of progress and man's dominion over nature, carries a deep cultural resonance. The windmill, prominently placed, evokes a sense of industry and ingenuity. Yet, it also whispers of its ancient forebears: the watermills of antiquity, powered by the elemental force of water. Consider their echoes in the mythical mills of the Norse sagas, grinding out not just flour, but fate itself. Even in this depiction of American enterprise, the primal symbolism persists. The windmill's circular motion suggests cyclical time and the ever-turning wheel of fortune. It is a reminder that progress is never linear but a constant return, a perpetual reinvention. Note how this symbol has resurfaced and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.