Pand op Assenstraat 34 te Deventer c. 1890

This photograph, taken in Deventer, captures a building on Assenstraat in a state of repair. The ladder, a prominent symbol here, speaks to our universal aspiration to ascend. Consider how ladders appear in various contexts—Jacob’s ladder in religious texts, a bridge between the earthly and the divine, or the ladder of success in our modern narratives. Each rung signifies a step closer to a desired goal, yet they also evoke vulnerability, the potential for a fall. Here, the ladder leans against the building under repair. It hints at both construction and deconstruction, a powerful reminder of how every creation carries within it the seeds of its own undoing, an ongoing cycle. The image's emotional weight lies in this delicate balance between hope and fragility.