Hekwerk in een tuin c. 1865 - 1900

This photograph, captured by Laurens Lodewijk Kleijn, presents a garden fence, a structure that speaks volumes about boundaries, both physical and symbolic. Fences, like walls, appear throughout history, signifying protection and separation. They evoke a primal human impulse to define territory, mirroring the lares and penates of ancient Roman households, the guardian deities watching over thresholds. These structures reappear throughout history, from the walled gardens of Renaissance Italy, promising sanctuary, to the stark barriers of modern conflict zones, signifying division. Notice how nature creeps over the hard edges of this fence. Vines twist, softening the rigid lines, a testament to life's persistent reclaiming of spaces. In our collective memory, such images tap into deep-seated emotions: the desire for safety, the fear of exclusion, and the ever-present tension between the wild and the cultivated. The image reminds us that symbols are never static; they evolve, reflect, and shape our understanding of the world.