SuperRare

The subject of this painting is the Tower of Babel structure;  It is mentioned in the Bible that this tower was made by human hands to reach heaven.  In showing the architecture of the Tower of Babel with countless arches and other examples of Roman engineering, Bruegel has deliberately evoked the Roman Colosseum.  His purpose of this painting is to show the dangers of human pride and perhaps the harmfulness of classical rationality in the face of theology.

The Tower of Babel was the world's first skyscraper, as well as a symbol of the might and hubris of the ancient city of Babylon. The enormous building, mentioned in the Bible, has fascinated generation upon generation, although everyone has their own image of what it once looked like 😎