Study for San Francisco, far right section 1855 - 1856

Charles Meryon created this preliminary sketch for San Francisco using graphite on thin paper. Dominating the scene is the skeletal framework of buildings under construction. These bare structures, reaching towards the sky, echo the Tower of Babel, symbolizing human ambition and the drive to build ever higher. But as in the biblical tale, there is a fragility to this ambition. The ephemeral lines of the graphite suggest the precariousness of human endeavor, a theme that resonates across time. I am reminded of the Roman aqueducts, monuments to engineering, yet vulnerable to collapse, or Piranesi's architectural fantasies, where structures are both grand and ruinous. This imagery taps into our collective memory, evoking feelings of awe and anxiety. The unfinished state hints at the transience of human achievements, engaging us on a subconscious level with questions of mortality and legacy. These motifs constantly resurface, evolving and taking on new meanings in different historical contexts.