Molen bij Dordrecht 1839

Arie Ketting de Koningh created this image of a windmill near Dordrecht using etching. The windmill is more than just a functional structure; it’s a powerful emblem of human ingenuity and our ongoing dialogue with nature. Consider the cross formed by the windmill's arms. This shape has appeared in varied forms from ancient cosmological diagrams to religious symbolism. In some cultures, the cross represents the intersection of the celestial and earthly realms, a point of connection between the divine and the mortal. The windmill, with its ability to harness the wind’s energy, evokes a sense of movement and dynamism. Think of the wheel, a symbol found across cultures—from ancient sun-wheels to the Buddhist wheel of dharma—representing cycles of life, death, and rebirth. These symbols are not static; they evolve, accumulating layers of meaning as they reappear across time. Our minds, steeped in this visual history, react viscerally to these motifs, drawn to their inherent power and the echoes of ancestral knowledge. And so, the image becomes a testament to the cyclical nature of symbols, their resurgence, evolution, and renewal across different historical contexts.