Gezicht op het Collège en Isle in Luik 1738 - 1744

This anonymous print offers a view of the Collège en Isle in Liège. Its tower draws the eye upward, an echo of the Tower of Babel, representing humanity's aspiration toward the divine. This reaching for the heavens is not new; it is a motif that stretches back through time, appearing in the ziggurats of ancient Mesopotamia and the minarets of Islamic architecture. Yet, here, it is grounded in the earthly realm, part of a structured, ordered college. The grid-like structure of the windows, and the calculated layout of the garden below suggest a rational, humanistic approach to knowledge and spirituality. The tower reminds us of our collective yearning for understanding. Just as the builders of Babel sought to connect with the heavens, so too does this college, through its pursuit of knowledge. This yearning has never disappeared; it resurfaces in every age, evolving and adapting to new cultural landscapes, yet always driven by the same fundamental human desire to transcend our limitations.