Gezicht op de Hervormde Kerk te Kolderveen 1890 - 1910

This is a photograph of the Reformed Church in Kolderveen. The church, in its imposing presence, speaks to the enduring human need for connection to the divine. The pointed arches of the windows, a motif echoing across centuries, remind me of Gothic cathedrals reaching towards the heavens. This shape is not merely architectural; it is a visual echo of aspiration, a reaching for something beyond our earthly bounds. This gesture appears in the Byzantine era, with the arches in Hagia Sophia, an ancient quest to bridge the earthly and the divine. The tower, a silent sentinel, bears witness to the passage of time. Towers have always served as a beacon, guiding not only the body but also the soul. Across civilizations, from the Tower of Babel to the minarets of Islam, towers represent a reaching towards enlightenment, a collective aspiration embedded deep in our cultural psyche. This yearning, this drive to connect with the transcendent, is a primal force, shaping our art and our world. The symbolism of the church—with its arched windows and towering structure—demonstrates a collective psychological need, that appears through time in different forms.