Saint Bavo Church, Haarlem, Netherlands 19th-20th century

Editor: This is Denman Waldo Ross’s "Saint Bavo Church, Haarlem, Netherlands." It’s a pencil drawing with such delicate lines. What do you see in this image? Curator: It's evocative. Churches, historically, are vessels of collective memory. What symbols stand out for you? Editor: The spire reaching high…and the people at its base seem small in comparison. Does this suggest a particular relationship between humanity and the divine? Curator: Precisely! The spire piercing the sky is an ancient symbol, repeated across cultures, representing aspiration and connection to something beyond the mundane. Notice how this resonates even today? Editor: I never thought about the spire that way before. Thanks. Curator: Indeed. Now, I see the same familiar symbol in new places all the time.