Landschap met wandelaars op een weg langs water c. 1610 - 1705

This delicate landscape with walkers, held at the Rijksmuseum, presents us with figures set against nature. Note the trees dominating the scenery, their roots exposed, gripping the earth. This image evokes the ancient motif of the world tree, a symbol found across cultures from the Norse Yggdrasil to the Tree of Life in numerous mythologies. The tree connects the earthly realm to the heavens, a conduit for spiritual ascent. The pair of walkers echoes the archetypal couple, symbolizing human connection. Recall Adam and Eve, or Orpheus and Eurydice; couples embarking on a journey, physical and metaphorical. These figures elicit our collective memory of love, loss, and the eternal quest for companionship. Their journey calls to mind the cyclical nature of human experience. Just as the trees have roots and branches, so do our symbols resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings throughout the ages.