Scène uit de opera De Deserteur, 1772 1772

Cornelis Bogerts created this scene from the opera The Deserter in 1772. The arches are not merely architectural but symbolic, echoing the human desire to find order and meaning in the world. Note how these arches, repeated and seemingly infinite, evoke a sense of both enclosure and escape. Arches have long been used to represent transitions, gateways to new possibilities, yet here, within the confines of what appears to be a prison, they mock the very idea of freedom. In classical antiquity, arches signified triumph and power, but observe how the weight of the stone seems to oppress the figures below. This reminds me of the cyclical nature of symbols, constantly resurfacing, evolving, and burdened with layers of collective memory. The gestures of despair, the confined setting, all speak to a deeper, subconscious understanding of human suffering, reminding us that even in the Age of Enlightenment, shadows persist.