Model van een stoommachine met een spirituslamp before 1867

This image depicts a model steam engine with a spirit lamp. The wheel, a prominent symbol here, represents more than mere mechanical function. The wheel, in its endless rotation, echoes the ancient symbol of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Consider the Buddhist Dharma wheel, or even the Wheel of Fortune in medieval iconography. Though this steam engine has a practical, modern function, the wheel subtly awakens a deeper, more primal understanding of cyclical existence. This symbol has undergone a transformation, from a spiritual emblem to a component of technology, yet it continues to evoke a sense of perpetual motion and inevitable change. Perhaps, subconsciously, we imbue these machines with the same hopes and fears that our ancestors projected onto the cosmos. This image powerfully engages us on a subconscious level, hinting at the convergence of the ancient and the modern.