Driehoeken Possibly 1770 - 1808

Jan Brandes created this drawing of boats in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, in 1786. Brandes, a keen observer, presents us with a variety of watercraft, each a vessel carrying not just people, but also the weight of cultural exchange and adaptation. Note the outrigger canoes, their unique design a testament to human ingenuity in navigating coastal waters. These structures of balance remind me of the winged sandals of Hermes, or Mercury as the Romans called him, forever in motion, bridging worlds. Like Mercury, these canoes symbolize the movement of ideas and goods, connecting disparate shores. Consider how such maritime technology, passed down through generations, embodies a collective memory of the sea. The sea, with its capacity to both unite and divide, evokes primal emotions of hope and fear. This drawing captures a moment in time, yet it echoes across history, resonating with our shared human experience of exploration and encounter. The evolution of the boat echoes the progress of civilization, in a sense.