De Hoogstraat te Rotterdam 1701 - 1759

Cornelis Pronk rendered this ink drawing of Rotterdam's Hoogstraat in the early 18th century. Notice how the street narrows into the distance, drawing our eye towards the spires piercing the skyline. These spires are more than architectural flourishes; they are echoes of humanity’s aspirations, reaching towards the heavens. Think of the Tower of Babel, or the minarets of Islamic mosques; the impulse to build structures that transcend the earthly plane is a recurring theme across cultures. Here, in the Protestant Netherlands, these spires signal not just religious devotion, but civic pride and the forward-thinking spirit of a mercantile society. This upward thrust, so deeply embedded in the collective psyche, resurfaces throughout history, each time inflected with new cultural meanings. It's a testament to our shared human drive to leave a mark, to aspire, and to connect with something larger than ourselves.