Stadstekenaar: The Angel of Peace and the Guardian of Truth
Rat, the Guardian of Truth:
You still wanna come and hide in my well?
Pigeon, the Angel of Peace:
No. I will keep circling above the Peace Palace.
If peace doesn’t come, I will shit from the sky.
Rat, the Guardian of Truth:
Then I will scream from their pipes.
Every month, The Hague’s second City Illustrator Kexin Hao publishes a drawing about the city, from the perspective of local animals. About this drawing, Kexin Hao wrote:
"II came across a 1907 illustration in the Gemeentearchief once published in De Amsterdammer. It depicts the laying of the first stone of the Peace Palace in The Hague. Meant to symbolize international peace and justice, the scene is laced with cynicism: the Truth rises from her well and warns the Angel of Peace to flee the house of lies. The angel, in turn, calls politics a puppet show.
With the NATO summit coming to The Hague this June, the Peace Palace will again take center stage. In my drawing, I reimagine this dialogue with new characters: the pigeon as the Angel of Peace, and the rat as the Guardian of Truth. Often seen as scavengers, pigeons were once wartime messengers and still symbolize peace—from Noah’s Ark to modern memorials. They carry the dual legacy of war and peace. The rat, living in the city’s sewers, becomes the bearer of hidden truths—navigating The Hague’s underground like a living archive. Rather than retreat, today’s pigeon and rat reclaim their roles with defiance and hope, keeping watch from the sky and below."
