Huizen en een kerk met een toren 1890 - 1946

This sketch by Cornelis Vreedenburgh captures a quaint scene of houses and a church with a tower. The church tower, a beacon of stability and spiritual aspiration, dominates the composition. Towers, from the Tower of Babel to the medieval cathedrals, have always represented humanity's attempt to reach the divine, a meeting point between heaven and earth. You can see similar architectural aspirations in the minarets of Islamic mosques or even in the skyscrapers of modern cities. The church tower in Vreedenburgh’s sketch, though modest, carries this same weight of ambition and faith, echoing through time. It is not merely a structure but a symbol loaded with centuries of collective longing and aspiration. This symbol has evolved over time, from pagan obelisks to Christian spires, always pointing upwards, towards something beyond our immediate grasp. The subconscious allure of verticality engages us, perhaps reflecting an inherent desire to transcend our earthly constraints.