Nuestra casa en Tetuán 1860

Mariano Fortuny Marsal created this watercolor painting of his house in Tetuan. Observe the arches, dominant visual symbols within Islamic architecture. The horseshoe arch, with its curved form, suggests both openness and enclosure. This motif appears not only here but also echoes across various cultural expressions, from the Visigothic architecture of Spain to its later revival in Moorish designs. The arch transcends mere structural function. It invokes a sense of passage and transition, symbolizing a bridge between different states of being, both physical and spiritual. Consider the Roman triumphal arch, a symbol of victory and imperial power, and how it also captures this idea of transition. The persistence of this symbol reveals a deeper, subconscious human impulse—the desire to create pathways and boundaries. The arch engages viewers on a subconscious level, hinting at the cyclical progression of cultural motifs.