Gezicht op de Sint-Laurentiuskerk te Oud Gastel 1899

This image captures the Sint-Laurentiuskerk in Oud Gastel, its towering spire a beacon of faith and community. This architectural style speaks to the cultural aspirations of its time, reflecting a desire to reach the divine. The church, a symbol of spiritual authority, reminds me of similar structures across Europe, each striving to pierce the heavens. Consider the obelisks of ancient Egypt, also attempts to connect earth and sky. This striving, this yearning, is deeply embedded in the human psyche. Here, time is also represented, through the clock. The passing of moments marked, life and death observed. This relentless march shares characteristics with the ever-turning wheel of fortune found in ancient Roman art, both expressing the ephemerality of human existence. It is an emotional and psychological reflection of our own mortality. Symbols like these are not static; they evolve, adapt, and resurface, echoing through the ages. They are a testament to our enduring need to find meaning and order in a chaotic world.