Monumentale tombe van Parpaglioni naar Federico Fabiani op de begraafplaats van Staglieno te Genua, Italië 1884 - 1890

This photograph captures the monumental tomb of Parpaglioni for Federico Fabiani, located in the Staglieno Cemetery in Genoa. Here, the angel, a figure laden with symbolic weight, rises, wings outstretched. The angel is a motif deeply rooted in our collective consciousness, bridging the earthly and the divine. Consider how winged figures appear across cultures: from the ancient Mesopotamian lamassu, protective deities with wings, to the Greek Nike, the embodiment of victory. The angel’s gesture of lifting the deceased towards the heavens echoes images of the soul's ascent found in funerary art across civilizations. The emotional power of this image lies in its promise of transcendence, tapping into our deepest fears and hopes surrounding death. It is through such symbols that humanity confronts mortality, creating a visual language of solace and remembrance. The evolution of this symbol highlights the non-linear progression of how humans reflect on mortality, constantly resurfacing and evolving.