Bouw van het Wilhelmina Gasthuis aan de Eerste Helmersstraat te Amsterdam c. 1891 - 1894

This is George Hendrik Breitner’s pencil sketch of the Wilhelmina Gasthuis under construction in Amsterdam. Amidst the angular strokes capturing the building’s skeleton, one cannot ignore the motif of scaffolding. These structures, vital for construction, echo motifs found in earlier depictions of the Tower of Babel. Think of its incomplete form as it spirals toward the heavens. Just as Babel’s tower embodies human ambition and the potential for divine disruption, the scaffolding here hints at humanity’s aspirations and its vulnerability. The unfinished edifice prompts thoughts on progress. Construction is more than just material advancement, it represents a collective drive towards the future. But such ventures are always subject to earthly limitations. This motif transcends mere architectural depiction, acting as a mirror to our own ever-evolving, never-completed, endeavors.