Oude ruïne van een vierkante kerktoren 1638

Jan van Goyen made this drawing of an old ruined square church tower with pen in brown and gray ink around the mid-17th century. The drawing offers a stark composition, dominated by the skeletal remains of the tower. Notice the artist's strategic use of lines, how they intricately detail the crumbling facade, emphasizing the contrast between the tower's solid geometric form and its decaying materiality. This decay destabilizes our perception, prompting a re-evaluation of permanence and decay. Van Goyen employs subtle shading to evoke a somber atmosphere, and the figures at the base add a human element against the backdrop of the ruin. This juxtaposition invites reflection on time, entropy, and the ephemeral nature of human endeavor. The drawing's power resides in its formal qualities, it prompts us to consider how it challenges fixed notions of structure, history, and the transient relationship between humanity and its monuments.