Rio di San Eustadio, Venice 1885

Andrew Fisher Bunner created this ink drawing of the Rio di San Eustadio in Venice in the late 19th century. See how the buildings rise from the water, adorned with chimneys that reach towards the sky? These aren’t just architectural details; they’re like silent guardians, symbols of hearth and home reaching back to ancient Roman times. Consider the arches of the small bridge and doorways. The arch is an ancient symbol. Think of Roman triumphal arches, symbols of power, and consider the arch as a symbol of transition and passage. Now, imagine the arch as a psychological threshold, a space between the conscious and unconscious, mirroring life’s passages and transformations. The city itself, with its labyrinthine canals and shadowed passageways, becomes a metaphor for the intricate pathways of memory and the human psyche. These symbols are continuously reinterpreted, their meanings layered and transformed. It’s a constant cycle, with the past informing the present in ways both seen and unseen.