Gezicht op Wijk bij Duurstede met de molen Rijn en Lek Possibly 1906 - 1909

Willem Witsen rendered this sketch, "View of Wijk bij Duurstede with the Rijn en Lek Mill," using graphite on paper. Dominating the horizon, a windmill stands tall. Windmills, beyond their practical function, become symbols of human ingenuity against nature's force. One is reminded of Don Quixote, who battled windmills, seeing them as giants. The windmill signifies a point where technology, labor, and the elements converge. Consider how such structures evolve in meaning across time. In earlier eras, similar towers might symbolize religious or military power. Later, during the industrial age, factories with chimneys took their place. This transference of symbolic weight, from windmill to factory, reflects changing societal values and fears. These themes return, like restless spirits, shifting, morphing, yet always carrying a trace of their former selves.