Het huis Eem 1670 - 1736

This drawing of Het Huis Eem, created by Jacobus Stellingwerff, presents us with a peculiar image of domesticity and elevation. The house with its tower-like structure topped with a spire, pierces the sky, a symbol of reaching towards the heavens. This reaching gesture is not unique. Think of the Tower of Babel, a monument to human ambition, or the minarets calling the faithful to prayer. Here, in this Dutch home, we see a similar impulse, albeit domesticated. The spire, a slender, pointed structure, directs the eye upward, evoking a sense of aspiration, an attempt to connect with the divine. But consider, too, how this symbol has shifted. Originally a marker of religious significance, the spire has become a symbol of status, adorning not only churches but also private homes, a testament to the evolving aspirations of humanity, a desire to elevate ourselves, not just spiritually but socially as well. The collective memory of sacred architecture subtly influencing the architecture of the everyday.