Portret van een man op het voorsteven van een gondel in Venetië 1889 - 1893

Johanna Margaretha Piek captured this photograph of a man on a gondola in Venice. The gondola itself is a potent symbol, deeply entwined with Venice's identity. Think of Charon's boat ferrying souls across the river Styx, or Egyptian iconography depicting the journey of the sun god Ra across the sky. The gondola is similarly charged with meaning. Here, the gondola becomes a vessel of transition, carrying its passengers through the labyrinthine waterways. This connects to a long history of river deities like Neptune, which represent passage. The man in the gondola is also a key image. This figure evokes a certain timelessness. The figure is shrouded in shadow, suggesting a hidden depth. The gondola, the water, and the shadowed man, a cyclical journey of life, death, and rebirth, an image that continues to resonate.