Ruïne van een portico 1651 - 1693

Johann Franz Ermels the elder made this etching of a ruined portico sometime in the late 17th century. Ermels, who was born in Rotterdam, spent much of his career in service to the court in Berlin. Consider the vogue for ruins at this time. Ruins romantically evoked the passage of time and a world turned upside down. They signaled that all power—inevitably—crumbles. The presence of ruins speaks to the cultural and political shifts, such as the rise and fall of empires, that shape not just stones but also the lives of individuals and societies. These ruins would have been viewed differently by those who profited from such societal shifts versus those displaced by them. And consider, too, the figures who populate the site, perhaps eking out a living in the shadows of what was once great. What stories do they carry with them? As you look, think about how time and history impact us all.