If you ever find yourself wandering the quiet, postcard-perfect alleyways of The Hague, keep your eyes peeled around streetlamp height. Tucked into the charming cobbled sanctuary of Mallemolen, you’ll spot a gentleman mid-climb on a lamp post, his coat tails flying out behind him as if caught in a sudden gust of wind.
This isn’t a modern street performer or an overly ambitious late-night reveler—it’s De Lantaarnopsteker (The Lamplighter), a delightful bronze creation brought to life by Dutch sculptor Loek Bos in 2008.
Before automated electricity ruined all the fun, keeping a city lit required a dedicated fleet of lamplighters who spent their evenings dashing through the chill with long torches and ladders, lighting every gas lamp by hand—only to march back out at dawn to turn them all off. It was cold, repetitive, and exhausting work.
Yet, rather than depicting a weary worker slaving away in the dark, the artist gave us a moment of pure joy and acrobatics. The sculpture captures a sense of effortless agility, turning a mundane 19th-century chore into a graceful ballet on a light post. If you look closely at the glass lantern above his head, you’ll even spot a couple of bronze birds perched on top, quietly judging his technique.
It’s a wonderful, witty tribute to the invisible hands that kept the night at bay, tucked into one of the city’s best-kept secret corners.
Source: www.atlasobscura.com
