Inn on the Amstelveenseweg c. 1652

This sketch, made by Rembrandt van Rijn, depicts an inn along the Amstelveenseweg using pen and brown ink. The inn's tower, topped with what appears to be a weather vane, immediately grabs our attention. Such towers, rising above the mundane, echo through time. They were once the exclusive emblem of cathedrals reaching to the heavens, symbols of spiritual aspiration and divine power. But here, the tower has migrated—a sacred symbol now gracing a place of earthly respite. It is no longer a beacon of religious authority, but perhaps a promise of earthly comfort, food, drink, and companionship. This shift embodies the continuous reinterpretation of symbols, their meanings shaped and reshaped by the currents of culture. These cultural memories, though often subconscious, influence our emotional response, drawing us to the familiar promise of shelter.