Altar with a Burning Offering [reverse] 1800

This copper artwork by Conrad Heinrich Küchler features an altar with a burning offering. Dominating the scene is the all-seeing eye, radiating light from within a triangle, a symbol deeply rooted in religious and philosophical traditions, often representing divine providence. The altar with its flames evokes ancient sacrificial rites, rituals that stretch back millennia across various cultures. Consider the Brazen Altar in the Temple of Jerusalem, or the Vestal Virgins perpetually tending the sacred fire in ancient Rome. Fire, a symbol of purification and transformation, also speaks to our collective unconscious, where the primal fear and fascination with its destructive and generative power reside. The eye, a potent symbol, has evolved through time. From its presence in ancient Egyptian art as the Eye of Horus, a symbol of protection and royal power, to its adaptation during the Enlightenment, the all-seeing eye embodies the vigilance of reason and the omnipresence of divine watchfulness. This symbol persists, revealing how cultural memories are continuously reinterpreted.