Dwarsdoorsnede van de villa Grimaldi te Genua 1622

Nicolaes Ryckmans created this cross-section of the Villa Grimaldi in Genoa with pen and ink. Dominating the composition is the arch, repeated in doorways, windows, and vaults. The arch, an ancient symbol, speaks of passage and transition, of embracing the sky, and of structural integrity. Consider the arch's lineage: from the triumphal arches of Rome, celebrating emperors and conquests, to its prominent role in religious architecture, symbolizing divine connection. The arch reappears in Gothic cathedrals, its pointed form reaching towards the heavens, embodying spiritual aspiration. Here, in the Villa Grimaldi, the arch signifies the passage from the earthly to the elevated, the profane to the sacred. It is a motif that, through its repetition, creates a rhythmic unity, perhaps echoing the rhythmic cycles of life itself. This triggers a sense of stability, but also of aspiration, embodying the human desire to connect the self with something greater. In this design, the arch’s cyclical recurrence reminds us that history is never truly linear. Symbols continually resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings.