Brand in de toren van de Sint-Bavokerk te Haarlem, 11 mei 1801 1808

Curator: There’s a rather melancholic stillness to this drawing. The drama of the fire is contained within this tidy little oval, like a memory… almost faded. Editor: Indeed. We are looking at "Brand in de toren van de Sint-Bavokerk te Haarlem, 11 mei 1801," or "Fire in the Tower of St. Bavo Church in Haarlem, May 11, 1801." Izaak Jansz. de Wit captured this event, employing only pencil, a minimalist approach which perhaps heightens that sense of somber reflection. The drawing was made seven years later, in 1808, lending credence to your notion of memory. Curator: Seven years! That’s a long time to sit with a burning building in your head. What does it say about collective trauma, or perhaps the individual artist trying to find resolution through rendering? Notice how small the fire looks; not terrifying, more like a quiet sigh coming from the steeple. Editor: Well, the framing itself is significant. The oval format, which one might consider decorative, detaches the scene from a more immediate, immersive experience. It becomes a contained narrative, a relic if you will. Structurally, we see the sharp, precise angles of the architecture contrasting with the amorphous smoke—order versus chaos. Curator: Chaos tamed, framed, and pinned down like a butterfly. It is beautiful to see how a potentially dramatic event is toned down using minimalist techniques. It prompts you to contemplate beyond the image, like it might be symbolic. Perhaps it’s more about the aftermath, or the endurance of the church despite the fire, using the steeple to reflect stability against turbulent times. Editor: Perhaps. I find myself pondering the technical skill. The controlled lines create form but also texture—especially on the stone. He captures the event with the right values. Curator: True! It has a dream-like atmosphere despite its historical accuracy. As if glimpsed through half-closed eyelids, all that smoke! A church steeple almost kissed by an ephemeral, ghostly plume… Anyway, I like that we got here, to this little moment in history framed. Editor: Precisely; the beauty is as much in the rendition as it is in the event. A subtle interplay, definitely.