Microscopische opname van de doorsnede van een stekel, 25 keer vergroot 1887 - 1888

Marinus Pieter Filbri's photographic slice of a thorn, magnified twenty-five times, presents us with a potent symbol: the circle. The concentric rings and radial lines echo ancient mandalas, primordial images of wholeness and the cosmos. This ordering of elements around a central point speaks to humanity's deep-seated need to find structure and meaning in the world. Consider the rose window in Gothic cathedrals, a direct descendant of the Roman oculus. These circular structures, filled with light and intricate patterns, aim to evoke the divine. What emerges, whether in architecture or microscopic photography, is the circle's unique ability to instill in us a sense of awe and profound connection. The urge to represent wholeness, the cyclical nature of life, and the cosmos is a timeless and recurring theme.