Gezicht op het klooster Certosa di Pavia 1840 - 1847

This print by Louis Cherbuin captures the façade of the Certosa di Pavia, a monument laden with symbolic meaning. Dominating the structure are numerous circles, a motif that echoes across cultures from antiquity to the Renaissance. Think back to the oculus of the Roman Pantheon, or the rose windows of Gothic cathedrals. The circle symbolizes completeness, eternity, and divine unity, yet here, adorning a Christian monastery, it also recalls pre-Christian sun worship and the cyclical nature of time. The constant recurrence of the circular form speaks to our collective, unconscious yearning for wholeness and the eternal. This image, like so many others, is a testament to the enduring power of symbols to transcend time, stirring deep within us a sense of continuity and connection to the past. Even now, we are drawn to the echoes of ancient beliefs, forever embedded in the stone and in our shared human psyche.