The Days Catch 

Eugene de Blaas captured this young woman with oil on canvas, evoking a sense of daily life. The fish she carries, symbols of sustenance and simple living, are anything but simple in their historical resonance. Consider the fish, a symbol that swims through time. In early Christian iconography, the fish represented Christ, an acrostic of "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior." However, its roots stretch further back. The association of fish with fertility and abundance was present in pre-Christian cults, linked to deities of the sea and rivers. This duality, survival and something more sacred, has been passed down through history. The woman’s gaze, directed away from us, draws us into her world, into the subconscious layers of meaning. The red scarf, a splash of color, perhaps a marker of passion, of life. This element pulls us into a non-linear, cyclical progression, resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings.