Gezicht op de Houses of Parliament te Londen before 1888

Norbert Goeneutte captured the Houses of Parliament in London with etching. The Palace of Westminster, a bastion of governance, is rendered here as a brooding silhouette on the riverbank. Consider its towers, echoes of ancient fortifications, symbols of power and stability. We may find their likeness in Renaissance cityscapes, emblems of civic pride and order. Yet, these structures also evoke a sense of enclosure, a labyrinthine architecture that speaks to the complexities of political life. The river, a constant flow of time, reflects not only the buildings but also the transient nature of power itself. Water as a symbol is dualistic. As a source of life it is also chaotic and destructive. The reflections on its surface are distorted echoes that remind us of the ever-shifting currents of history and memory. The building stands, yet the world continues to turn. We see in this image how forms are carried across time, their meanings shaped and reshaped by the collective psyche.