Gezicht op de Nieuwe Kerk te Amsterdam 1751

This is an anonymous etching portraying the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. The most striking symbol is, of course, the church itself, crowned with a cross. The cross, an ancient symbol of suffering and redemption, gains new layers of meaning here. In the medieval era, it was about divine power and the central symbol for Christian Europe, but in the bustling streets of Amsterdam, it also stands as a reminder of faith amidst growing secularism. One can’t help but think of earlier iconic crosses, like the Cross of Mathilde, and later, the stark crucifixes of a man like Francis Bacon. The tower of the church points towards heaven, but the people and the buildings surrounding the church represent mundane daily life. The sacred and the profane, interwoven as always. This dichotomy has been played out time and again, capturing the human struggle between earthly desires and spiritual longing. The psychological tension in this image is palpable – a silent, subconscious pull between the heavens and the earth. It has been, and will continue to be, reinterpreted.