Facciata Del Castello-fortezza Dei Farnese 1894

Giuseppe Barberis's "Facciata Del Castello-fortezza Dei Farnese" shows the facade of the Farnese Fortress, revealing an imposing symmetry that is immediately arresting. The building's design features classical architectural elements, drawing heavily from ancient Roman forms. Note the sundial and clock; time-measuring devices which are embedded into the building's structure. The sundial, a symbol of ancient knowledge, relies on the sun's path to measure time. The mechanical clock, a later invention, represents the human desire to control and quantify time. We see similar expressions in ancient Egyptian obelisks, which also served as time-telling devices, connecting the earthly realm with the celestial. These time-keeping devices also speak to our own mortality, a reminder that time relentlessly marches on. The building acts as a bulwark against time, while the sundial and clock remind us of time's unrelenting passage. This tension engages viewers on a subconscious level, evoking both security and the transient nature of human existence. The visual language is not linear, but echoes through time, transforming, yet ever-present.