Staande meisjes en een meisje met korenaren of hout onder de arm 1827 - 1891

Johannes Bosboom sketched these standing girls and a girl with ears of wheat in the 19th century. Ears of wheat are ancient symbols of fertility, harvest, and nourishment, deeply embedded in our collective unconscious. From the Eleusinian Mysteries of ancient Greece, where Demeter offered the gift of grain, to ancient Egyptian harvest festivals, wheat is associated with life’s cyclical renewal. Consider depictions of Ceres or Isis, often holding wheat, or the cornucopia, overflowing with nature's abundance. Over time, wheat became a symbol of civilization itself, representing humanity's ability to cultivate and thrive. Here, Bosboom's inclusion of wheat engages our subconscious. The girl is not merely carrying a bundle of grain but is also subtly imbued with centuries of symbolic weight. The act of carrying wheat can be seen as a gesture of hope and resilience, tapping into our deepest instincts for survival and prosperity. This sketch, therefore, serves as a cultural carrier, bridging past and present.