Landschap met huizen en een kerk omring door een muur 1605 - 1673

Lucas van Uden created this landscape with houses and a church surrounded by a wall using etching techniques. The church, typically a symbol of spiritual solace and community, is here confined within walls. Consider how the motif of enclosure echoes through art history. In medieval tapestries, walled gardens, the hortus conclusus, represent the Virgin Mary's purity. But here, does the wall protect or imprison? Note the high walls, suggesting not just a physical boundary but also a psychological one. The high walls resonate with a deep, collective memory of protection, but they also evoke feelings of isolation, reflecting perhaps a subconscious longing for the safety of community. This dichotomy engages us on a primal level. The church behind walls invites us to reflect on how symbols evolve, carrying echoes of the past while adapting to new emotional landscapes. We are left to ponder the cyclical nature of symbols, their capacity to transform, and their enduring power to stir our souls across time.