Schetsblad met studies van karpers, van voren c. 1876 - 1924

This sketch sheet with studies of carps was created by Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof. Observe these carps, captured from various angles. Across cultures, the fish symbol teems with meaning. In Christianity, it is an emblem of faith, while in Eastern traditions, it signifies abundance and perseverance, swimming against the current. Note how Dijsselhof renders the scales and fins with an almost calligraphic flourish. This evokes the ancient Chinese art, where the carp symbolizes wealth due to the phonetic similarity of ‘fish’ and ‘abundance’ in Mandarin. Consider the psychological weight of such symbols. The carp, a creature of the water, taps into our collective unconscious, evoking the primal depths of the life-giving sea. It surfaces through time, its symbolic resonance shifting and transforming, yet ever connected to the wellspring of human experience.