St. Enoch's Square, No.22 (Glasgow) 1891

This etching by David Young Cameron captures St. Enoch's Square in Glasgow. What strikes the eye is the symmetrical facade, a form that echoes the classical temples of antiquity, intended to project stability and order, values deeply embedded in our collective psyche. Consider how the lamp post, centrally positioned, stands as a beacon. Light and illumination have long been symbols of knowledge and guidance, dating back to the Enlightenment and beyond. The presence of human figures, frozen in their daily routines, evokes a sense of timelessness, a concept similarly seen in Roman friezes, where ordinary people are immortalized. This continuity suggests that these moments, though fleeting, carry weight and meaning across generations. The seemingly simple image thus invites us to reflect on the interplay between permanence and transience, between the ideal and the everyday. The classical ideals of balance, order, and enlightenment are thus interwoven with scenes from quotidian life.