Poort, decoratie voor het Zee-comptoir, 1795 1795

This is an anonymous drawing from 1795, titled "Poort, decoratie voor het Zee-comptoir," made with an unknown medium. The drawing presents a classical architectural structure: a portico or gate, rendered with precise lines and balanced proportions, which evoke a sense of order. The inscription "MARINE" across the top hints at a maritime theme, central to the Zee-comptoir, or maritime office, for which this decoration was intended. Structurally, the gate is divided into distinct sections: the base, columns, arch, and pediment. Each part is delineated with clear, almost diagrammatic lines, emphasizing the geometric forms that constitute the whole. This method reflects the Enlightenment’s focus on reason and order, presenting an idealized vision of civic architecture. The emptiness within the arch prompts us to consider the gate as a symbolic threshold—a transition point between spaces, ideas, and the maritime commerce it represents. Note how this simple line drawing embodies complex notions of trade, power, and civic pride during the late 18th century.