Gezicht over het water op Woudrichem 1860 - 1921

Adolf le Comte sketched this view of Woudrichem with pencil and charcoal. The composition is divided between the dark mass of land on the left and the silhouette of the city against the horizon on the right. The distant city beckons, marked by the tower, a symbol of stability, safety, and community, emerging from the skyline, which echoes the classical cityscapes. The tower appears throughout European art as a cultural constant. Consider its form in medieval miniatures or Renaissance cityscapes. Its prominence isn't just architectural, it's psychological. As a symbol, the tower elicits a sense of aspiration, a bridge between earth and sky that carries a deep emotional resonance, evoking our collective longing for the eternal, and the sublime. It stands as a testament to enduring human ambition.