Grot en fontein in de oude stad Manduria 1778

Louis Ducros created this drawing of a cave and fountain in the ancient city of Manduria. The dark cave, pierced by a stark light from above, immediately strikes a chord, reminding us of Plato's cave allegory. Light and darkness play with the viewer's emotions; the deep shadow invokes a feeling of mystery and the unknown. The artist arranges the architecture in horizontal planes, drawing our gaze upward. This arrangement echoes the visual organization used in sacred spaces such as the ziggurats of ancient Mesopotamia. The staircase motif appears throughout antiquity, representing the desire to connect the earthly with the divine. It resurfaces, evolved and transformed, in later works, always evoking the idea of transcending human limitations. This symbol has a non-linear and cyclical progression, taking on new meanings in different historical contexts.