Ontwerp voor illuminatie van het West-Indische buitenhuis te Amsterdam, 1788 1788

Hendrik G. van Raan rendered this design for the illumination of a West-Indian country house in Amsterdam in 1788, likely with graphite on paper. The cool precision of the drawing belies its festive purpose, presenting a triumphal arch composed of a geometric grid. Van Raan's construction employs a semiotic language that speaks to both celebration and order. The archway, an established symbol of victory and passage, is here articulated through a rigorous framework of triangles and circles, capped by a radiant sun emblem. The "&C" inscribed at the arch's keystone suggests a commission, grounding the design in a specific social context. Yet, the drawing is more than a mere blueprint; it is an exercise in the visual language of its time. By reducing the architectural form to its structural essence, Van Raan invites us to consider how meaning is constructed through the interplay of line, form, and symbolic devices, reflecting the Enlightenment's pursuit of reason and clarity.