Gezicht op zuilen, een architraaf en timpaan aan de buitenzijde van de San Marco in Venetië before 1884

Carl Heinrich Jacobi created this monochromatic artwork of the San Marco in Venice. The linear perspective directs our gaze toward the Basilica's facade, focusing on classical elements, such as the columns, architrave, and tympanum. Jacobi masterfully captures the architectural detail, using light and shadow to accentuate the texture of the stone and the intricate carvings. The strong vertical lines of the columns contrast with the horizontal emphasis of the architrave, creating a balanced composition that speaks to the Renaissance ideals of order and harmony. The presence of a cross shape suggests a semiotic system of signs which might have informed the artwork's making and reception. In its totality, the artwork is not merely a representation of a building but an exploration of form and structure. The cross shape can be interpreted as an engagement with new ways of thinking about space, perception, power, and representation.