Watersnood in Koog aan de Zaan, 1825 1825

Here we see Albert Kramer's etching of the Watersnood in Koog aan de Zaan, depicting the devastation of the floods of February 1825. Dominating the scene is the church, its spire reaching towards the heavens, a beacon of hope amidst the watery chaos. In Christian iconography, churches act as sanctuaries, safe places against the turmoil of the world. Yet, even this sacred space is threatened, mirroring a similar sense of unease found in earlier depictions of great floods, such as the story of Noah's Ark, where divine wrath reshapes the world. Note the presence of small boats navigating the submerged landscape. Here the symbol of rescue and survival mirrors the epic of Gilgamesh where boats also offer a means of escape from cataclysmic inundation. The emotional weight of the image lies in this tension: the promise of salvation versus the overwhelming power of nature, a dichotomy that has haunted humanity's collective memory. This is a potent reminder of our vulnerability and the enduring need for symbols that offer solace in the face of existential threats.