Gezicht op een groep huizen met stadspoortje(?) 1828 - 1897

This watercolor by Adrianus Eversen shows a quiet scene of houses and a city gate. Notice the tower, a motif stretching back to ancient watchtowers and medieval keeps. Towers, historically symbols of defense and authority, also appear across different times and cultures, from the Tower of Babel to church steeples. The tower’s verticality often symbolizes an aspiration towards the divine, but here, it conveys a more earthly sense of stability and enclosure. There is something psychologically comforting about the way this tower anchors the composition, resonating with our collective memory of fortified places. We often project our desire for safety and order onto such images. Though the scene appears peaceful, these architectural forms evoke a past filled with both refuge and potential conflict. The way Eversen presents the city gate reminds us that even in tranquility, the weight of history—with all its cycles of protection and vulnerability—remains palpable.