Gezicht op Alblasserdam 1701 - 1759

Cornelis Pronk rendered this view of Alblasserdam in delicate strokes of pen and gray ink. Dominating the scene, the church spire pierces the sky, a symbol of spiritual aspiration. The spire as 'axis mundi', the world's axis, connects the earthly and divine realms. It’s a motif echoed in the minarets of Islamic architecture and the obelisks of ancient Egypt. Even the maypole carries a similar subconscious resonance as a connection between earth and sky. The motif of the steeple, originally a pagan symbol of fertility and growth, was appropriated by Christianity. It represents the same impulse to reach toward the heavens, a longing that permeates the human psyche across millennia. This symbolic continuity reveals the intricate tapestry of cultural memory, and our deep-seated need for connection to something beyond ourselves.