Gezicht op de Nieuwe Kerk te Amsterdam, 1726 1726

This 1726 etching offers a view of the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam, its towering spire piercing the sky. More than mere architecture, this church is a vessel of symbols. Observe the spire, a motif stretching back to antiquity. It’s an echo of obelisks reaching for the heavens, a symbol of aspiration, connecting the earthly to the divine. You will find similar shapes in many cultures, not just Christian ones. But consider how its meaning shifted: in ancient Egypt, obelisks honored the sun god Ra; here, the spire directs prayers to the Christian God. This transformation speaks to our collective quest to understand the cosmos. Even the church's location, amidst the hustle of the marketplace, is a visual metaphor. It merges the sacred with the mundane, reflecting a tension between spiritual ideals and everyday life. This image, therefore, isn't just a depiction of a building, but a powerful force engaging viewers on a subconscious level. As such, the spire represents the non-linear, cyclical progression of symbols, resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings in different historical contexts.