Montmartre gezien uit de vlakte 1773 - 1843

This pencil drawing of Montmartre was created by Georges Michel in the 18th or 19th century. Notice the windmills on the horizon, standing like ancient sentinels. These structures, once vital for grinding grain, become symbols of a rural past slowly yielding to urbanization. The windmill motif has ancient roots. Think of Don Quixote tilting at windmills, a symbol of lost battles against inevitable change. In Dutch paintings, windmills are national emblems, embodying prosperity. Yet, here, they carry a melancholic air, mere vestiges of what was. The subconscious echoes this sense of loss. Just as ruins evoke the transience of empires, these windmills stir a collective memory of a world fading away. They are not merely objects but emotional anchors, reminding us of time’s relentless passage and the impermanence of human endeavor. This cycle continues: symbols die, only to be reborn in new forms, echoing through history.