Dak met schoorsteen c. 1909s

Alexander Shilling made this sketch called ‘Dak met schoorsteen’ - or ‘Roof with chimney’ - with pencil on paper. The sketchbook format signals its private nature, as a place for jotting down quick observations. The juxtaposition of a distant church spire and a close-up of a chimney speaks to the artist's interest in different scales of social life. On the one hand, the church, with its roots in medieval Europe, represented a familiar kind of power structure. And on the other, the chimney, as a symbol of modern life and industry. Shilling lived through a time of great change, as cities grew and factories transformed the landscape. His sketches may not be overt critiques, but they do ask us to think about what progress really means. To understand them fully, we must consider how the rapid industrialization of the late 19th and early 20th centuries impacted ideas about community, tradition, and individual experience. By delving into the historical context, we can better appreciate the subtle but profound insights offered by Shilling's art.