Gezicht op de vuurtoren van Cordouan 1638

This rendering of the Cordouan lighthouse presents us with more than just an architectural marvel; it is a beacon of cultural memory, rendered anonymously. Above the tower floats a winged figure, unfurling a banner bearing the tower's name. This angel, a motif echoing through time, recalls the classical winged victories, yet here it serves a navigational, secular purpose. Consider the lighthouse itself. It’s a symbol of guidance. But it also reminds me of the Tower of Babel, a symbol of human ambition and the desire to reach the divine, which, like the lighthouse, pierces the sky. The image stirs something deep within us—a collective yearning for understanding, a subconscious hope for salvation, resonating across epochs. It's as if the lighthouse embodies both the aspirations and the potential downfalls of human endeavor. A symbol not of linear progress, but cyclical, forever resurfacing in our shared cultural consciousness.