On the surface it appears to be just a picture of a railing near the stairs in the hard sunlight. Behind the rail are pillars and patterned walls. It seems like the pillars are made of the same material as the stairs – some sort of light colored stone. Perhaps the most interesting part of the picture is the shadow cast by the rail. The hand rail is inherently straight, but the shadow it casts is completely askew. It is immediately eye catching and raises questions from the viewer. The longer you look at the image the more you will be able to understand. Although, I have been looking at this picture for a half hour and I am still slightly confused. I know that it must be the way the wall behind the rail is uneven and jagged, but I still have a difficult time comprehending why exactly it is happening like that.
This picture is metaphorical in the sense that people and things are not always what they seem. For instance, you may perceive someone and make assumptions based on their appearance. You may assume someone is straight and rigid, when in fact they are completely different.