Titelpagina voor de bundel afbeeldingen van de rechtbank te Westzaan 1782

This is Theodoor Koning's title page for the collection of images of the court in Westzaan, created around 1782. Above the title, we see the image of a building beneath a crown. Flanking the image are what appear to be fasces, bundles of rods bound together, often including an axe. Fasces were ancient Roman symbols of power and authority, carried by officials as emblems of their judicial and executive powers. Their reappearance here is fascinating, and it shows how symbols of authority have been passed down through history. Though the literal binding together of rods might fade from conscious memory, the psychoanalytic understanding of these symbols, with their power to evoke feelings of both order and potential violence, continues to engage viewers on a deep, subconscious level. It shows a non-linear progression, how symbols resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.