Gezicht op de Oost-Indische Werf te Middelburg, 1778 1779

Jan Arends’ etching from 1778 shows the East India shipyard in Middelburg, dominated by ships awaiting completion. Ships are ancient symbols of transition, commerce, and exploration. Consider the Egyptians, who buried ships with pharaohs to traverse the afterlife. Or the Vikings, whose longboats embodied their spirit of adventure and conquest. These vessels, poised for voyages to the East, embody the dreams of merchants and explorers. The masts, reaching skyward, echo the ancient obelisks and spires – symbols of connection between the earthly and divine realms, striving towards enlightenment or perhaps, in this context, simply marking ambitions for wealth and power. This motif, repeated throughout history, reflects humanity's enduring desire to bridge the gap between the known and the unknown, the material and the spiritual. It’s a powerful image, stirring deep-seated desires for discovery and transformation.