Porta della Luppia del Monte 

Daniël Dupré created this delicate watercolor of the Porta della Luppia del Monte, an ancient gate in Verona, Italy, sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. Notice the gate itself, a kind of liminal space, a portal between worlds. Gates, since antiquity, have been powerful symbols. In ancient Rome, Janus, the two-faced god, guarded doorways, representing transitions, beginnings, and endings. This symbolism is not confined to the classical world; similar ideas appear in many cultures. Consider, too, how the gate, as a point of control and passage, might unconsciously resonate with psychological barriers within ourselves. The act of passing through a gate, therefore, becomes more than just a physical act. It’s a potent symbol of change, laden with the emotional weight of expectation, fear, and hope. This idea has resurfaced and evolved in countless forms, subtly influencing our understanding of thresholds, both literal and metaphorical.