Architectuurstudies 1691 - 1734

This is a study in pen and ink by Abraham Meyling, featuring several sketches of architectural forms. The recurring motif of linear architectural outlines, such as those of façades, tells us about a deeper human impulse to impose order and structure upon our world. These lines are not just representations of buildings, but symbols of human aspiration. Think back to the ziggurats of Mesopotamia, or the pyramids of Egypt. These structures, like Meyling's sketches, rise from the earth, declaring human presence, and engaging in dialogue with the heavens. We see an evolution in the symbolic value of architecture. Initially, architecture served primarily to express religious or state power. But by Meyling's time, architecture comes to also represent mercantile activities. This non-linear progression shows how symbols and gestures resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings.