View of the ruins of the interior of the Church of Nuestra Senora del Carmen in Saragossa bombed by the invading French army during the Napoleonic war 1808 - 1814

Fernando Brambila captured this view of the ruined Church of Nuestra Senora del Carmen in Saragossa with etching. The devastation of war is stark: a sacred space reduced to rubble, bodies strewn amidst the debris. Yet, the arches and vaults still point to the heavens, a symbol of resilience. Consider the arch: a motif stretching back to Roman triumphal arches, symbols of victory and power. Here, the arch is broken, inverted. Its strength is undermined and yet it still stands—much like the human spirit amidst conflict. The arch motif echoes through history, and even in contemporary buildings, reminding us of the cyclical nature of rise and fall. Even in ruins, the arches in Brambila's etching invite a moment of reflection, a silent dialogue across centuries. It’s a potent image, embedding itself deep within our collective memory.