Gezicht op 's-Gravenzande after 1666

Joost van Geel’s etching shows a distant view of 's-Gravenzande, dominated by the church spire rising above the town. This spire, an iconic symbol of spiritual aspiration, echoes through history. Consider the Tower of Babel, an ancient symbol of human ambition reaching for the divine, or the minarets of Islamic architecture calling the faithful to prayer. In each, we see a reaching towards something beyond the earthly. The spire’s form, often phallic, also evokes a primal, subconscious yearning for connection, a reaching out that resonates deep within our collective memory. This isn't merely a visual representation, but a conduit for deeply rooted human emotions and longings. It reminds us that even in a seemingly simple townscape, symbols can carry immense cultural and psychological weight. This image illustrates the cyclical journey of symbols – how they resurface and evolve, carrying echoes of the past into the present.