Fotomontage van twee wijken van Québec before 1894

Jules-Ernest Livernois created this photomontage of two districts of Quebec, capturing scenes of daily life and architectural beauty. Dominating the composition are the churches, their steeples reaching skyward, acting as visual anchors that embody not just religious devotion, but also community identity. Notice how the churches here are reminiscent of ancient obelisks—symbols of stability across time and space. This architectural choice is not accidental; it’s a conscious reaching back to antiquity, integrating age-old symbols of permanence and faith. The presence of the rose bush, and verdant leaves points to a subtle dance between the sacred and the natural world. This is a motif we see echoing through the Renaissance, when the 'hortus conclusus', a symbolic garden enclosed to protect a pure space, was commonplace. There's a psychological dimension too, a deep-seated human desire for connection to the earth. This desire for connection drives the creation and endurance of these symbols. They resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings, continually engaging us on a primal level.