Brand in bierbrouwerij De Valk te Amsterdam 1882 - 1884

Frans Schikkinger captured the brewery De Valk in Amsterdam, using etching techniques. Observe the prominent motif here: the glow of light emanating from the windows against the dark, encroaching night. This contrast of light and dark is a fundamental symbol of the human condition, embodying the struggle between knowledge and ignorance, hope and despair. We can find versions of this chiaroscuro in Caravaggio’s dramatic use of light to illuminate spiritual awakenings, and even further back, in Plato’s allegory of the cave, where shadows and light represent different levels of understanding. Here, the light in Schikkinger’s windows serves as more than mere illumination; it represents the hearth, the center of activity, and the spark of human enterprise against the surrounding darkness. This recurs throughout time, a beacon of human endeavor resisting the chaos.