Hervormde kerk te Beemster c. 1728 - 1732

Cornelis Pronk sketched this view of the Hervormde Kerk te Beemster. Dominating the composition is the church tower, stretching upwards to the heavens. The tower acts as a visual and symbolic focal point; it's the community's connection to the divine. In many cultures and across time, similar vertical structures—obelisks in Egypt or minarets in Islamic architecture—serve a comparable function. Consider the ancient Roman obelisks, erected to honor their gods, now standing in the heart of Christian Rome, repurposed and crowned with crosses. Likewise, the church tower of Beemster carries layers of cultural memory. It echoes these earlier forms yet adapts to its specific historical and religious context. These architectural symbols tap into a deep, collective yearning for transcendence. The urge to reach beyond our earthly bounds is a recurring theme, an eternal echo resonating through human history, manifesting in the forms we create.