Uitgebrande brandewijn branderij 1685 - 1689

Jan van der Heyden rendered this drawing of a gutted distillery in ink and gray wash, likely around the turn of the 18th century. Look closely at the charred timbers and the collapsed roof, stark reminders of fire's destructive power. Fire, as a symbol, is ambivalent: it represents purification and destruction. We see echoes of this duality throughout art history, such as the fires of hell in medieval depictions of the Last Judgement, or the great fires in the background of the Old Masters battle scenes. The motif of fire appears in iconography from ancient Greece, often symbolizing divine punishment or purification. In the Bible, fire signifies both God's wrath and his cleansing power. Consider how Van der Heyden uses fire not just as a literal event but as a symbol of the fleeting nature of human endeavors. Like the Phoenix rising from ashes, such ruins invite contemplation on the cyclical patterns of destruction and renewal in our collective memory, revealing the profound, often subconscious, ways in which we grapple with loss and transformation.