Montmartre gezien uit de vlakte, links paard en wagen 1773 - 1843

Georges Michel rendered this drawing of Montmartre with graphite. Dominating the horizon, the hill crowned with structures evokes not just a place but a symbolic ascent—a visual echo of the soul’s yearning for higher ground. Consider the age-old symbol of the mountain, a motif recurring across cultures, from Mount Olympus in Greek mythology to the ziggurats of ancient Mesopotamia. These elevated spaces are consistently associated with the divine, serving as intermediaries between the earthly and celestial realms. We find such themes echoed through history. The horse and wagon in the foreground remind us of our earthly toils, the mountain looms—a visual metaphor for spiritual aspiration. Michel's sketch captures this eternal dialectic. It’s a motif as old as human consciousness itself, passed down through generations.