Beeld van leeuw en man te Babylon, Hillah Possibly 1925

This old photograph of a sculpture was taken by A.G.A. van Eelde, in Babylon. It looks like the site of an archeological dig. Imagine van Eelde, with his camera, capturing this ancient scene. It’s kind of thrilling, right? This lion, so solid and still, towering over a human figure, a sign of power and dominance. The photo is weathered, and it makes me wonder about the stories it could tell, of empires and civilizations rising and falling. Look at the lion's posture, so regal and self-assured. You can almost feel the weight of history in this image. Van Eelde’s careful framing highlights the contrast between the timeless monument and the eroded landscape, hinting at themes of decay and endurance. It reminds me that artists—then and now—are always in conversation with the past, wrestling with what it means to be human.