Girandole met man met ezel Possibly 1755 - 1759

This print, made by William Austin around the 18th century, features a man with a donkey next to an elaborate tower-like structure. The most striking element here is perhaps the presence of the donkey. This humble beast, laden with its burden, carries echoes of Christ's entry into Jerusalem, a potent symbol of humility and service. The donkey, throughout history, has been perceived ambivalently – sometimes a symbol of foolishness, other times, of perseverance. Think of Apuleius' "The Golden Ass," where the protagonist's transformation into a donkey leads to enlightenment. In this image, the donkey may suggest the burdens we carry and the transformations we undergo in life. The image also plays on our deep-seated attraction to the exotic and ornamental. The tower, with its fantastical, almost dreamlike, architecture, reminds us of our desire to transcend the mundane. Austin’s juxtaposition of the common donkey and the elaborate tower invites us to reflect on our aspirations and the simple realities of existence.