Het dorp Gouderak met op de voorgrond een zeilend schip 1750 - 1776

This drawing depicts the village of Gouderak, with a sailing ship in the foreground. The church spire pierces the sky, a beacon of faith and community, a symbol deeply rooted in the collective consciousness of the village. Such spires, reaching towards the heavens, are not unique to this time or place. Consider the obelisks of ancient Egypt, symbols of power and connection to the divine. Or the minarets of Islamic mosques, calling the faithful to prayer. The form evolves, but the underlying impulse remains constant: a reaching for something beyond our earthly realm. This reaching is not merely physical, but psychological. The spire becomes a repository for our hopes, fears, and aspirations, a symbol of our eternal quest for meaning. It's a cyclical progression, this reaching, constantly resurfacing in new forms, reflecting our ever-evolving relationship with the divine.