The Folder View widget is used to display entries like folders or files from a folder, by default from $HOME/Desktop.

You can choose to view either all files, or filter either by specific regular expressions (e.g., all files with a certain extension) or by file type (e.g. just images).

This widget also supports basic file management properties (moving, copying, cutting and pasting for example), and you can have as many as you want on your desktop.

If you select the layout Folder View in the Desktop Settings you can use one Folder View as the whole desktop, effectively replicating the "old style" desktop paradigm.