La route de Kazrin [?], Kenendeh [?], Iran c. 1885 - 1910

Antoine Sevruguin captured this photograph of the road in Kazrin, Iran, using the then-novel medium of photography. The arcade is a potent architectural symbol of transition and passage. Consider the series of arches, reminiscent of Roman aqueducts, portals of power and progress. These arches invite us to move through space, hinting at journeys both physical and spiritual. The tree, stripped bare, mirrors similar motifs in Dutch vanitas paintings, representing mortality and the transient nature of life. The wayfarers paused in their journeys, evoke similar figures in Renaissance paintings, figures burdened by their journeys, their internal worlds, and the uncertainty of their path. Note how our attention is drawn to the horizon, a symbol of hope but also of the unknown, stirring deep-seated emotions of yearning and anticipation. The cyclical nature of life and travel is reflected in the arches, each a gateway to new experiences, each echoing human hope.