Sinbad de zeeman 1850 - 1881

This print, titled "Sinbad de Zeeman" and created by D. Noothoven van Goor, presents us with scenes from the famed sailor's adventures. Dominating these visual narratives are potent symbols, notably the great Roc, a mythical bird of prey of immense size and strength. This majestic creature, laden with symbolic meaning, appears repeatedly throughout the series of images. We see it in multiple instances, and most strikingly, carrying an elephant in its talons. The Roc, as a symbol, reaches far back into the annals of cultural memory. We see traces of it in other mythologies, like the Garuda of Hindu and Buddhist traditions, sharing a common thread of divine power and aerial dominance. Consider how this motif of a giant bird has evolved: from a symbol of divine power to a symbol of untamed nature, laden with cultural and psychological meaning. This speaks to our collective, subconscious fascination with the wild and the unknown. It’s a cycle of imagery that reflects humanity’s emotional response to power, both terrifying and awe-inspiring, and how those primal feelings are continuously refigured through art.