Stadsgezicht met een kerk, mogelijk Amsterdam c. 1914s

This sketch, possibly of Amsterdam, was made by George Hendrik Breitner using graphite on paper. It captures a cityscape where the church spire acts as a beacon, a vertical thrust against the horizontal spread of buildings. The spire, reaching upwards, isn't merely architectural; it’s a symbol deeply rooted in the human psyche. Think of the Tower of Babel—an aspiration, a reaching for the divine, but also a potential hubris. This reaching gesture echoes in countless images across cultures, from the minarets of Islamic art to the obelisks of ancient Egypt, each striving to bridge the earthly and the celestial. Consider how the spire, in its various forms, has been a constant motif. Its presence speaks to our collective desire for order and meaning, a visual anchor in the flux of existence, constantly reinvented across time, a testament to humanity's enduring spiritual quest.