Studioportret van een vrouw in een bolle ruitjes rok met bijpassend vest c. 1863 - 1866

This is a photograph of a woman in a checkered outfit, captured by Carl Rensing. The 'X' motifs at the bottom of the skirt echo ancient symbols of crossing, of boundaries, and of the unknown. Consider the recurrence of such crossed shapes. From the Paleolithic era’s simple markings on cave walls to the medieval heraldry emblazoned on shields, this symbol has persisted. Sometimes it signifies a meeting point, other times, a cancellation or negation. Here, these 'X's punctuate the hem of her dress like silent guardians at the edge of her world. Is it a ward against ill fortune, a subtle marker of territory, or merely an aesthetic choice? Perhaps, it is all of these things, intertwined within the fabric of culture and memory. This photograph invites us to ponder the symbolic threads that bind us to the past, reminding us that even in the most ordinary of images, echoes of ancient meanings may resonate.