Saint Tropez 1913

Nicolae Darascu rendered this view of Saint Tropez with watercolors and a light touch. Note the prominence of the church tower, or campanile, rising above the civil structures. In medieval iconography, it served as a visual anchor, representing not only a place of worship but also the communal identity of the town. Campaniles, like obelisks and columns, function as a kind of 'lightning rod', connecting heaven and earth and serving as a signpost to a sacred place. This phallic symbol has roots stretching back to ancient Egyptian obelisks, symbols of solar worship, and the Tower of Babel. Consider its recurrence in depictions of the Annunciation, where it pierces through the sky, a visual metaphor for divine impregnation. The tower’s enduring presence across time and cultures suggests a deep-seated need to connect the earthly with the divine, manifesting as a symbol of hope, guidance, and communal identity, anchoring us in the ever-changing currents of time.