Gedicht over corruptie in het stadsbestuur c. 1661 - 1665

This poem about corruption in city government was made by Gesina ter Borch in the 17th Century, using pen and ink. At the bottom we see a spiral, a recurring motif throughout art history. The spiral is one of humanity’s oldest symbols, seen as a metaphor for growth and evolution. We find it in Neolithic carvings at Newgrange, Ireland, where it signifies the journey of the soul, the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth. Consider its presence in Van Gogh’s Starry Night; there, the night sky swirls with life, reflecting the artist's turbulent emotions and the cosmos's infinite energy. The spiral form engages viewers on a subconscious level, a potent symbol that has persisted, morphed, and resurfaced across cultures and epochs, reflecting our enduring quest to understand existence and our place within it.