Reliëf met pauwen van de San Marco in Venetië before 1885

Carl Heinrich Jacobi made this relief of peacocks from San Marco in Venice, rendered in stone. The carving process, while simple in concept, demands an intimate knowledge of the material. Stone is heavy and unforgiving, and each strike of the chisel requires careful planning. Jacobi’s decisions about depth and line reveal a deep understanding of the stone's inherent qualities. The texture, weight, and form of the material dictate the final appearance of the peacocks and the surrounding ornamentation. The stone likely came from a local quarry, its extraction and transport representing significant labor. The act of carving itself, a slow and deliberate process, stands in stark contrast to the rapid consumption of mass-produced goods. The tradition of stone carving carries its own weight, a lineage of skilled craftsmanship passed down through generations. This relief invites us to consider the connection between material, making, and meaning. It challenges us to look beyond the surface and appreciate the time, labor, and skill embedded within the stone itself.