Gezicht op de Romeinse ruïne van een huis in Timgad before 1894

This is an undated photograph of Roman ruins in Timgad by an anonymous photographer. The black and white image, cropped closely on the ruins, emphasizes the geometry of the site, the stone blocks rendered in stark relief under the harsh sunlight. The perspective, slightly askew, invites a consideration of the gaze itself. What does it mean to view ruins, remnants of a fallen empire? The composition draws our eyes to the foreground, where fragments of columns and walls lie scattered, signs of decay. This foreground is juxtaposed against the more distant, yet still present, structures behind, which hint at the city's original grandeur. This contrast of near and far, broken and intact, can be interpreted through a poststructuralist lens. Here, the ruins challenge the stability of historical narratives. The image becomes less about Rome's triumph, and more about the inevitable passage of time, and the deconstruction of power. The photograph does not merely document; it questions our relationship with history, memory, and the very structures we build.