Curatorial notes
Dorothy Lathrop’s ink drawing presents us with a scene dominated by the well—an ancient symbol of life, mystery, and the subconscious. It is a potent emblem, marking both the source of sustenance and a passage into the unknown depths. The children sitting by the well’s edge evoke a sense of innocence, while the figure lurking above suggests a guardian, perhaps a deity, of this vital source. The geese clustered nearby, symbols of vigilance and domesticity, add another layer to this pastoral tableau. The well, as a motif, echoes through time, recalling the wells of biblical narratives, the sacred springs of pagan traditions, and even the Freudian interpretation of water as a symbol of the unconscious. Here, the drawing's symbolic structure resonates with the universal human fascination with origins, the hidden, and the life-sustaining forces that bind us. As the goose and the well reveal, these images perpetually resurface, adapting to the narratives of each era while holding onto their primal power.
