Meisje voor een schildersezel tekent een stoomtrein 1886

Here we see an etching by Constant Cap, in which a girl stands before an easel, absorbed in her depiction of a steam train. The train, a symbol of modernity and progress, is rendered by a child, a figure embodying innocence and the future. The image of the steam train carries the weight of its era, echoing through time as a symbol of industrial revolution, much like the ships that symbolized exploration centuries prior. We find its counterpart in ancient myths of chariots, celestial vehicles guided by gods across the sky, a powerful symbol of technological advancement. The act of drawing, the hand guided by the mind, links to ancient rituals of mapping the stars, charting the unknown, and seeking to bring order to the chaos of the world. This young artist, capturing the train, is herself a vessel of memory and aspiration. She channels our collective dreams of progress, our subconscious hope for a future propelled by the engine of human innovation.