Microscoopopname van het gehoororgaan van een mens met de chorda tympani before 1895

This microscopic image of the human ear, including the chorda tympani, was created by Gustav Fritsch at an unknown date using photography. Consider the ear, a symbol resonating across cultures and epochs as the gateway to knowledge and divine communication. From ancient oracles heeding the whispers of gods to philosophers seeking truth through attentive listening, the ear embodies receptivity. We see echoes of this symbolism in Van Gogh’s severed ear, a potent image of self-inflicted sensory deprivation, or Goya’s deaf self-portrait, contemplating the disquieting silence of the world. Here, the scientific gaze penetrates the biological form of the ear. It lays bare the physiological underpinnings of this fundamental human experience. What was once the recipient of divine utterances is now subject to rational analysis. The image engages our subconscious on a profound level. The ear is presented as a tangible artifact of our sensory experience. This photograph compels us to reconsider the age-old symbolic potency of the ear within the frame of modern scientific inquiry.