Street Scene with Arch 

Bela Sziklay's etching captures a bustling street scene framed by a monumental stone arch, a symbol of transition and passage. Arches like this one have served as gateways in cities since antiquity, evoking triumphal entries of Roman emperors, as we see them depicted on the Arch of Titus. But here, the archway isn't a symbol of imperial might, but a structure that blends into the urban fabric of daily life. Markets thrive beneath its shadow, and people bustle through its opening. The archway motif transcends mere architectural function, echoing a deeper human desire for connection. It represents a threshold, a bridge between spaces and states of being. This powerful image speaks to the cyclical nature of history, where symbols endure. They are continually reinterpreted as they engage our collective memory and subconscious desires for something new on the horizon.