He Met Within the Murmurous Vestibule, His Young Disciple 1885

Will Hicock Low created this drawing called 'He Met Within the Murmurous Vestibule, His Young Disciple' using graphite and gouache, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Note the burning flame beside the sphinx, a motif with deep roots. The flame, an ancient symbol of purification and enlightenment, appears across cultures, from the hearths of early humans to the eternal flames of temples, signifying knowledge and immortality. Juxtapose this with the sphinx, a guardian of knowledge. In ancient Greece, the sphinx posed riddles, and those who failed to answer met their doom. Here, the sphinx and the flame embody the trials and illumination inherent in the pursuit of wisdom, a symbolic gateway to understanding. The master clasps the hand of his disciple, echoing gestures found in antiquity and the Renaissance, signifying the transmission of knowledge. This motif reflects our collective subconscious, yearning for guidance and truth, resurfacing through the ages.