Gezicht op een gebouw met trapgevels c. 1828 - 1897

Adrianus Eversen sketched this view of stepped-gable houses with pencil on paper. The stepped gable itself, a motif so prominent in Northern European architecture, echoes a yearning for ascent, for reaching higher planes. Its origins trace back to ancient fortifications, symbolizing strength and defense. Yet, within the domestic sphere, it transforms, carrying new connotations of civic pride and prosperity. Consider the ziggurats of Mesopotamia, where steps led to the divine. The stepped gable perhaps echoes this primal urge, a visual echo of humanity's endless climb. It also reflects a psychoanalytic mirroring of the human desire to build, to protect and reach the skies. As we journey through the ages, this symbol persists, a testament to cultural memory and our collective subconscious.