View of a Steam Engine 1870 - 1880

This anonymous rendering offers us a view inside a steam engine, a symbol of the industrial age. Note the cylindrical forms and angular architecture, these are not merely technical elements, but potent symbols. Consider the circle, the cylinder – from antiquity, it signifies perfection, continuity, and the cycles of life, echoing in the wheels and pistons here. Think back to Vitruvian Man, and the symbolic importance of the circle. The way the mechanical parts are integrated into the hull of a ship is almost womb-like, suggestive of containment and protection, harking back to ancient myths of creation and vessels of life. The hidden interior of the steam engine is a testament to man's ingenuity but also hints at the subconscious, a deep place of transformation. As technology advances, these symbols recur, reflecting our unchanging hopes and anxieties about control and progress.