Plato's Cave, c. 1604, by Jan Pietersz Saenredam after Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem
“Imagine this–after all, people seem to be in an underground dwelling like a cave, where a wide opening stretches along its entire length. From an early age they have shackles on their legs and necks, so that people cannot move, and they only see what is right in front of their eyes, because they cannot turn their heads because of these shackles. People have their backs turned to the light emanating from the fire, which burns far above, and between the fire and the prisoners there is an upper road, fenced off... by a low wall, like the screen behind which magicians place their assistants when dolls are shown over the screen.
... behind this wall other people are carrying various utensils, holding them so that they are visible over the wall; They carry statues and all sorts of images of living beings made of stone and wood. At the same time, as usual, some of the carriers talk, others are silent.”
— The Republic by Plato, 360 B.C.E.