Balustrade met reliëf in de San Marco in Venetië before 1885

This photograph captures a section of a balustrade with relief in the San Marco in Venice by Carl Heinrich Jacobi. The image presents a symmetrical arrangement of panels, each intricately carved with vegetative motifs. Two panels show a circular design enclosing a stylized tree, flanked by rectangular panels filled with flowing leaves and stems. The image invites us to consider the relationship between order and ornamentation. The grid-like structure of the balustrade, with its repeating patterns, establishes a clear, rational framework. Yet, within this framework, the artist introduces a wealth of organic detail, disrupting any sense of rigid uniformity. This tension between structure and surface ornamentation serves to animate the stone, transforming it from a mere barrier into a visually engaging surface. Consider the interplay of light and shadow across the relief. These variations not only accentuate the three-dimensionality of the carving, but also highlight the dynamic nature of perception, reminding us that meaning is not inherent in the object itself, but emerges from our interaction with it.