Penelope, op de grond 1759 - 1842

This drawing by Pieter Pietersz. Barbiers captures the essence of a Penelope bird, with its distinctive crest and elongated form, rendered in delicate watercolor. The bird itself— its presence— speaks to a deep, primeval connection. Consider, for a moment, the symbolic weight of birds across cultures. They are not just creatures of the sky; they are messengers, symbols of freedom, and, at times, omens of the soul’s journey. The Penelope, with its unique morphology, invites us to explore how different societies might interpret its presence. Do we see echoes of ancient augury in its stance? Or perhaps, in its crested head, a reminder of the elaborate headdresses worn in rituals of transformation? Birds appear in Egyptian hieroglyphs, Greek mythology, and shamanic traditions—each instance reshaping their symbolic role. It is this dance between the old and the new, the conscious and the subconscious, that breathes life into images, connecting us through the corridors of time.