Gezicht op Quillebeuf-sur-Seine 1638

This anonymous depiction of Quillebeuf-sur-Seine presents a town anchored by its church. The image reduces the buildings to simple shapes, and the location as a strategic point within the landscape. It is striking to consider the church at the heart of the city as more than a place of worship. This form, found in numerous towns, becomes a marker of time and community. The architecture connects one to the divine and to others. Such architectural forms recur throughout history, not just as buildings, but as symbols. Consider the Tower of Babel, a monument intended to reach the heavens, laden with the hubris of mankind, or the ziggurats of ancient Mesopotamia. Each seeks to bridge the gap between earth and sky, mortal and immortal. The impulse to build upwards taps into a deeply rooted desire to transcend our earthly bounds. This upward thrust towards the heavens is repeated through time, as the collective memory echoes these forms, reimagined in each generation. It creates an emotional resonance, stirring something profound within us. It calls out to the universal aspiration to touch the divine.