Piramide van Cestius 1680

This print shows the Pyramid of Cestius, a funerary monument erected in Rome around 12 BC. The pyramid form, adopted from ancient Egypt, speaks to the enduring human fascination with immortality and the afterlife. We see how ancient symbols migrate across cultures. The pyramid, born in the sands of Egypt as a pharaoh’s gateway to eternity, finds itself re-imagined here in Rome, embodying a similar longing for remembrance. This shape carries with it a history, an emotional weight, that transcends geographical boundaries. Note how, even in its adaptation, the pyramid retains its primal essence, its silent assertion against oblivion. Like a dream that resurfaces in different guises, the pyramid reappears in various epochs. It represents a collective, subconscious yearning to defy the inevitable passage of time. It evolves and resurfaces, carrying its echoes into new futures.