Porta Laterale Della Cattedrale 1895

Giuseppe Barberis rendered this facade in ink to capture the grandeur of the cathedral's side portal. Above the door, we find a coronation scene, figures in the round framing the Virgin Mary as she is crowned Queen of Heaven, an event steeped in symbolic weight, reinforcing the Church’s role as the gateway to divine grace. Consider the motif of the arch itself, here rendered with such solemnity. Arches, from Roman triumphal entries to Byzantine church apses, have long served as symbolic thresholds. This arch is not just a structural element but a visual echo of the celestial vault, inviting contemplation of a sacred realm. We recall, too, the oculus, or the eye, a symbol that recurs through history. This visual language, deeply rooted in cultural memory, continues to resonate. It evolves across epochs, each culture reinterpreting and imbuing it with new significance. As viewers, we engage not only with the surface of the image, but with the echoes of centuries past.