Imaging The Netherlands 029: Maurits Monument on Herenbrug, Den Haag (ZH)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

029: Maurits Monument

Like Amsterdam, The Hague also has a Canal District: de Grachtengordel. During the Twelve Years’ Truce (1609-1621) of the Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648) or the Dutch Independence War, Prince Maurice de Nassau ordered the construction of the Canal District as a defense system. However, they’ve never been used actively in the defense of the city. The Koninginnegracht (Queen’s Canal) as seen in the photograph, is one of these canals. At the Heerenbrug (Patrician’s Bridge), this monument commemorates the completion of the Canal District in 1619. The monument, inaugurated in 1932, was sculpted by Joop van Lunteren. The personages in the relief are a soldier, prince Maurice, prince Frederic Henry, probably Christian Huygens or Simon Stevin, and some builders.

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2010, 2017

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Imaging Brazil 364: Wood in detail in Belo Horizonte, MG (2012)

A personal selection of photographs with their stories.

364: Wood in detail

Parque Municipal (Urban Park) in Belo Horizonte attracts many visitors that like to spend their lunch hour wandering along the ponds, to enjoy the amusement park, to watch the little monkeys that can crawl and swing on tree branches above your head, to see the colorful flowers and beautiful butterflies in the butterfly garden. There are many big trees in the park, and it is no wonder that from time to time, some trees have to be cut because of their advanced age and of the possible danger that they can collapse. The tree stems are then dried in open air, and eventually carved into elegant benches. The picture shows the core of such a giant tree stem. It is not hard to see that this tree must have suffered much during drastic climate changes: from extreme rainfall and hot temperatures to extreme drought and colder temperatures. 

© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2012, 2017