De houten wenteltrap in het Gemeenlandshuis van Delfland, te Maassluis 1901

Jan Striening made this watercolor painting of a wooden spiral staircase in the Gemeenlandshuis van Delfland, in Maassluis, sometime in the late 19th century. Just look at that staircase, twisting upwards like a vine. I can almost imagine Striening perched on a stool, squinting his eyes, trying to capture the light as it spills in. I bet he mixed his colors carefully to get those muted tones. Notice how he used delicate strokes to define the wooden beams and balusters. There's a softness to the way he handled the watercolor, giving the scene a gentle, nostalgic feel. I think he wanted to record it, like a memory before it fades. It makes me think about how artists, across time, are always looking, always trying to make sense of the world. And that, in itself, becomes part of the story we tell each other.