Untitled 

Here is a piece by Zdzislaw Beksinski, it doesn't have a title and a date, we just know he was a Polish painter who died in 2005. Immediately, one notices the orb at the top, reminiscent of the medieval idea of the cosmos and the divine light, a celestial sphere filled with an ominous glow of a possible sacred space. This is in stark contrast to the decay and suffering below. We see the same orb in Renaissance art, symbolizing spiritual enlightenment or divine presence, and even further back in time, in ancient Roman depictions of emperors holding globes, signifying their dominion over the world. In this context, the orb atop Beksinski's image could be seen as a twisted, almost mocking symbol of hope or salvation, highlighting the despair and torment of the figures beneath. The painting evokes a deep psychological response, confronting us with our own anxieties about mortality and the unknown, as the orb continues to appear in contemporary contexts, demonstrating the non-linear progression of symbols as they resurface in various forms throughout history.