Arcaden aan een straat in Mirepoix, met links een marktvrouw 1870 - 1890

This photograph captures the arcades of a street in Mirepoix, with a market woman to the left. Above the arches, note the row of sculpted heads. These grotesque faces, reminiscent of ancient gargoyles, serve as silent guardians, their grimaces warding off misfortune. We see this instinct across time. Think of the apotropaic masks of ancient Greece, intended to avert evil, or the protective figures carved into Romanesque churches. The impulse to visually repel harm is primal, rooted in a deep-seated fear of the unknown. Consider how this archetype has evolved. From fierce demons to comical caricatures, these faces reflect a culture's anxieties and beliefs. The enduring presence of such figures speaks to our collective memory, a subconscious echo of humanity's enduring quest for safety and control in an unpredictable world.