Ministerie van Marine te Den Haag, vóór de brand van 1844 1844

Editor: Here we have an engraving from 1844, depicting the Ministry of the Navy in The Hague, before the fire that year. The sharp lines create a sense of formality, almost rigidity, and a melancholy feel because this building is now gone. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: It makes me think about how much we value permanence and yet, everything is ephemeral, especially in our memories. The precision is admirable; it’s a testament to the engraver's skill and perhaps even speaks to a desire to preserve what they knew was vulnerable. Look closely, can you see a slightly dreamlike quality too? Perhaps the artist sensed that destruction was already looming. Editor: I do now! It’s as if they were aware of the impending fire, making it a bittersweet document. But I wonder why this particular view was chosen? Curator: Ah, that's the delicious mystery, isn’t it? Maybe it was commissioned as a record, or maybe the artist was simply captivated by the geometry, the stark contrast between the imposing facade and the rather vulnerable-looking figures in the square. A kind of visual memento mori. It seems so...deliberate. Don't you think? Editor: Absolutely. Thinking about it as a memento mori completely changes my understanding. The geometric elements become less about precision and more about a futile attempt at permanence. Curator: Exactly! Art’s sneaky like that, isn't it? What started as a formal depiction morphs into something deeply human.