De Burense poort te Tiel 1733 - 1784

Editor: Here we have Hendrik Spilman's "De Burense poort te Tiel," created sometime between 1733 and 1784. It’s an ink and pencil drawing on paper. There’s almost a wistful quality to it, a quiet beauty in the depiction of this waterside cityscape. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, Spilman. I'm immediately drawn into that stillness you noticed. It feels like a memory, doesn't it? Fleeting and precious, captured with such delicate lines. The way the light reflects on the water, it’s almost shimmering, even though it's just ink on paper. For me, the composition isn't just about accurately depicting the Burense Poort, but about evoking a particular feeling, that sense of a world bathed in gentle light, holding its breath. Editor: It definitely has that tranquil feeling. I find myself wanting to know what it felt like to be there, witnessing that scene. Curator: Exactly! What does it suggest to you, the presence of that architecture juxtaposed with nature's reflection in the water? Does the symmetry affect your viewing of it at all? It speaks of a particular moment, or a collective consciousness around places, you might say, holding both grandeur and intimacy. What if it's a little romantic, what if this place has been lost in the passage of time and can only live now through images, in our dreams? It also touches the ephemerality of these places, no? The slow but inexorable passing away. Editor: That’s a beautiful thought. The contrast between the solid gate and the flowing water makes me think about permanence versus change, history versus the present. Thanks! It gives a deeper insight. Curator: And thank you, the real purpose of art for me is really that, isn’t it? The art, a gentle meeting point where time pauses and we might better reflect on change!