Boten in een baai aan de Maas 1840 - 1841

This subtle pencil drawing by Johannes Tavenraat captures boats in a bay on the Maas river. In this seemingly simple sketch, the masts of the boats are particularly striking. Throughout time, masts have served as symbols of exploration and the human desire to traverse the unknown, linking distant lands and cultures. One can trace the mast back to ancient Egyptian barques carrying pharaohs on the Nile, or Minoan ships sailing the wine-dark sea. They reappear in Viking longboats and caravels of the Age of Discovery. Each age imprints its hopes and fears on this symbol, reflecting our collective aspirations and anxieties. As these symbols endure, they undergo metamorphosis. The masts here may evoke not just seafaring adventures but also the inherent human impulse to explore and connect, forever etched in our collective memory.