Gezicht op een rij gebouwen aan het water c. 1909

George Hendrik Breitner created this drawing, "Gezicht op een rij gebouwen aan het water," with a charcoal pencil. The architecture, sketched so hastily, hints at a deeper symbolism. Buildings as shelters are as old as humanity itself. They represent not just physical space, but a longing for order, stability, and belonging. Throughout history, one sees similar representations of buildings, from the ziggurats of Mesopotamia to the temples of ancient Egypt. The grid-like pattern in the windows may echo through time, reminding us of similar shapes in medieval cityscapes or modern urban planning. The grid, a symbol that reappears in various contexts—from city maps to occult diagrams—speaks to our innate desire to impose order on the chaos of existence. These symbols remind us of our own cyclical progression through time, where old ideas resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings.