Poortje aan het Oude Waaggebouw, nr. III 1870 - 1926

Willem Wenckebach rendered this drawing of the Oude Waag building with pen and ink. Above the door, a portrait bust is framed by symbolic imagery that speaks to the building’s original function as a weigh house, a place of commerce and civic identity. Consider the scales, emblems of justice and balance, which remind us of the role of trade in society. This same motif appears in ancient Egyptian art and later in Renaissance allegories. The depiction of such symbols are no mere decorations. They reflect a deeper, collective understanding of order and fairness. Observe how the door itself becomes a threshold. It is more than a physical passage; it’s an entry into the collective psyche, a point where the past and present converge. This entrance resonates with what we know of ancient city gates and portals of temples. The door in this drawing, like those earlier structures, captures a sense of anticipation. A powerful psychological force draws us in, connecting us to the continuum of human experience.