Gezigt van het Huys op Simpang van Vooren 1809

This is a watercolour of the house at Simpang van Vooren by C. Coolen. At its centre, a white, monumental arch stands as a gateway, flanked by a continuous wall that stretches across the landscape. Such arches have long been a symbol of transition, and the triumph of crossing thresholds. Think of the Roman triumphal arches, erected to celebrate military victories, or city gates designed to control the flow of people and goods, both echoing the symbolic power of the arch. This one, although domestic, still marks an entrance into a controlled, ordered world, distinct from the outside. But here, the arch is not merely functional; its presence evokes a sense of psychological passage. Like memories resurfacing, these architectural forms carry the weight of cultural history. They invite us to consider how we, too, navigate our own personal thresholds, forever moving from one state of being to another.