Kerk en antieke ruïnes in Italië c. 1606 - 1674

Leonaert Bramer rendered this drawing of a church amidst ancient ruins in Italy with pen and brush. Dominating the composition are the ruins themselves—fragments of a past civilization now overtaken by the church, a symbol of a new era. These ruins aren’t merely architectural remains; they're carriers of cultural memory. In my work, I call them "Energem." They embody the psychological energy of past eras. We find such ruins not only in depictions of Italy, but in the backgrounds of Renaissance paintings, where classical motifs evoke a sense of continuity with antiquity. The ruin as a motif speaks to the cyclical nature of history, the rise and fall of civilizations. It reflects our collective confrontation with mortality and time's relentless march. In this context, the ruin becomes a stage where the drama of human existence plays out, engaging us on a deep, subconscious level. It elicits feelings of nostalgia, loss, and the poignant beauty of decay. Notice how this imagery has resurfaced throughout art history, constantly evolving and acquiring new layers of significance.