Vijf fragmenten van sculpturen before 1868

This print titled 'Vijf fragmenten van sculpturen' was created by William H. Griggs, though the exact date remains unknown. What strikes you first about this work is its meticulous arrangement of five sculptural fragments on a single page. Griggs presents each fragment with a stark clarity, emphasizing their texture and form through the photogravure technique. The top and bottom fragments, depicting lions, flank the more intricate bas-relief at the center, a frieze teeming with figures and inscriptions. Two simple rectangular tablets complete the layout. The composition encourages a reading of contrasts: the organic shapes of the lions against the rigid geometry of the frieze. The work invites us to contemplate the nature of the fragment itself, and how these isolated pieces relate to larger narratives and historical contexts. Are they ruins, artifacts, or documents? Ultimately, Griggs uses the photographic medium not just to reproduce but to reorganize and re-present, inviting a new understanding of these ancient forms.