Grafmonument van Jan Carel Josephus van Speyk in de Nieuwe Kerk te Amsterdam 1911

This photographic print shows the tomb of Jan Carel Josephus van Speyk, likely not long after its installation in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. The monument is made from stone, with a wrought iron enclosure. Let’s consider how the materiality of this memorial relates to its function. Stone connects to the tradition of classicism, signaling a permanence that evokes the life of the commemorated individual, and a sense of national identity. However, the use of stone is also tied to labor; quarrying, carving, and transporting these materials involves intensive work. The decorative elements, like the sword and floral wreath, and inscription were carefully chiseled into the stone. These processes would have required highly skilled craftsmen, drawing on centuries of tradition. The ironwork around the tomb, with its repeated vertical bars, feels more machine-made – although it too was likely hand-wrought. The photograph itself acts as a kind of monument, creating an accessible and distributable means of preserving Van Speyk’s memory. Considering these aspects helps us see the full picture of this memorial, tying together the different histories of creative practices, labor, and the act of remembrance.