Kloostergang van het Klooster Ter Apel 1893

This photograph captures the cloister of Ter Apel Monastery, its architecture speaking volumes. The arches, repeated and receding into the distance, are not merely structural; they are symbolic portals. In the medieval mind, such arches evoked the celestial vault, a gateway to divine knowledge and spiritual transcendence. This form echoes through time, from Roman triumphal arches, symbols of power and victory, to the Gothic cathedrals reaching for the heavens. Consider the psychology of space: the cloister, with its rhythmic arches, is designed to induce contemplation, guiding the eye and mind towards enlightenment. It's a deliberate construction intended to shape the inner state, harnessing architecture to evoke a sense of peace. Such a space mirrors the human soul's quest for meaning, finding echoes in the vaulted ceilings of our innermost thoughts and collective memory. A cyclical return of an ancient architectural element, reimagined across centuries.