Twee zeilschepen opgetild door de golven tijdens een storm 1640

This etching presents two sailing ships, their wooden hulls and billowing sails caught in the throes of a violent storm. The churning waves, rendered with a remarkable sense of movement, lift the ships precariously, dwarfing them against the overwhelming power of nature. The motif of the storm at sea is ancient, harking back to the Old Testament’s narrative of the Great Flood and the trials of Noah. Storms became symbols of divine wrath and chaos. Consider, for example, the many depictions of shipwrecks throughout art history, from ancient Roman mosaics to later Renaissance paintings, each echoing the primal fear and awe inspired by the sea's untamed power. The collective memory of such cataclysms, passed down through generations, surfaces here, stirring in us a subconscious recognition of our vulnerability. The psychological impact is palpable, engaging viewers on a visceral level with the drama and uncertainty of human existence.