Twee gezichten op de ruïnes van de stallen van een Romeins klooster in Tébessa before 1894

These photographs depict the ruins of a Roman monastery’s stables in Tébessa, North Africa. The repetition of the rectangular forms of the stables creates a rhythmic pattern across the landscape, hinting at the architectural ingenuity of the Romans. The image of the ruin is a profound symbol in Western art. We find it echoed in Piranesi's etchings of Rome, where crumbling arches evoke the passage of time and the transience of human achievement. The ruin, as a motif, speaks to the cyclical nature of history, echoing in the Romantic era's obsession with decay and melancholy, where the past haunts the present. Here, the starkness of the ruins against the landscape evokes a sense of loss, perhaps tapping into a collective memory of fallen empires. The ruin is not merely a physical state but a psychological space, a stage upon which we project our fears and aspirations. It's a reminder of the continuous cycle of construction and destruction, a visual echo resonating through history.