Deel van de thermen van Diocletianus en S. Bernardo alle Terme 1648 - 1671

Jan de Bisschop rendered this drawing of the Baths of Diocletian with brown ink in the 17th century. Notice the ancient Roman ruins, with their sturdy arches, and the figures of people at the base that suggest a sense of scale. The arch, a dominant symbol here, speaks to the rise and fall of civilizations. Think of triumphal arches, erected by the Romans to celebrate military victories. This architectural form reappears through time in various guises—from church windows to doorways—yet it always maintains that echo of power and human triumph. Observe also the crumbling state of the baths themselves. They are testaments to the passage of time and the fleeting nature of human achievement. This iconography appears in paintings across Europe, where ruins serve as reminders of mortality. Perhaps, subconsciously, we recognize our own inevitable decline in these images, adding a layer of melancholy to their aesthetic appeal. Such potent imagery has evolved, yet the underlying emotional resonance remains. The arch still stands, connecting us to the past in a cyclical dance of cultural memory.