The rowing philosopher
Where to? That way! (rough translation of the text carved in this nice contemporary stone)
This rowing man is looking back, but going in the opposite direction. It’s just like life. You know what lays behind you, but what will the future bring?
More than 400 years ago Dutch houses had no numbers, but names. This lead to a rich variety of carved stones in the facades of houses. After the houses got their numbers thanks to Napoleon, the habbit stopped. In some occasions stones are carved after the beginning of the 19 th century, but modern ones are rare. This one is a gem. It’s placed in a house in the oldest part of Nieuwendam, a former village built on a dyke north of Amsterdam. The sculptor is Hans ’t Mannetje. The village now is part of Amsterdam, but has retained a rural atmosphere. The boat is a traditional wooden rowing boat of the region.
The rowing philosopher
Where to? That way! (rough translation of the text carved in this nice contemporary stone)
This rowing man is looking back, but going in the opposite direction. It’s just like life. You know what lays behind you, but what will the future bring?
More than 400 years ago Dutch houses had no numbers, but names. This lead to a rich variety of carved stones in the facades of houses. After the houses got their numbers thanks to Napoleon, the habbit stopped. In some occasions stones are carved after the beginning of the 19 th century, but modern ones are rare. This one is a gem. It’s placed in a house in the oldest part of Nieuwendam, a former village built on a dyke north of Amsterdam. The sculptor is Hans ’t Mannetje. The village now is part of Amsterdam, but has retained a rural atmosphere. The boat is a traditional wooden rowing boat of the region.