Spotprent in Leidse studentenalmanak, 1849 1849

Carel Christiaan Antony Last created this print for the Leiden student almanac in 1849, depicting scenes of student life. The phrase "IO VIVA" dominates the image, a Latin expression of lively celebration common in academic circles, reminiscent of ancient Roman bacchanals. The act of communal drinking and revelry is rich with symbolism that stretches across time. Recall the Greek symposiums, or even medieval banquets; these gatherings serve as crucibles for forging bonds, expressing solidarity, and sometimes, indulging in excess. Note the presence of skeletons and figures drinking, recurring motifs in vanitas paintings, where they remind us of mortality amidst life's pleasures. This duality—celebration intertwined with awareness of life's transience—reveals how collective memory operates. Through such imagery, we confront the ephemeral nature of our existence. These symbols reemerge across centuries, testifying to the enduring human condition. So let us remember the cyclical nature of symbols: constantly resurfacing, transformed, yet perpetually echoing through the corridors of time.