Dorpsgezicht te Elst met kerk 1731

Abraham de Haen's sketch presents us with the village of Elst, dominated by its church, a beacon amidst the trees. The church, more than just a building, is a symbol, an axis mundi, connecting the earthly with the divine. The steeple, reaching upwards, mirrors the ancient obelisks of Egypt or the minarets of Islamic architecture, all striving to bridge the gap between humanity and the cosmos. Consider the cross atop the steeple, a symbol of sacrifice and redemption, yet its roots delve far deeper. We find similar cruciform shapes in pre-Christian symbols, representing the intersection of the celestial and terrestrial realms. This church isn’t merely a place of worship; it is a vessel carrying centuries of collective longing and spiritual yearning, a testament to how symbols evolve, adapt, and persist in our shared cultural memory.