Span van de eerste praalwagen in de optocht voor de Heilige Rombout, 1825 1825

In 1825, Jan Vervloet captured with graphite this span for the procession of Saint Rumbold. The magnificent horses, adorned with foliage, pulling the ceremonial float bear echoes of ancient triumphal processions, celebrations of power and divinity. Consider the garland, a motif stretching back to classical antiquity. In Roman times, it signified victory and honor, adorning heroes and gods alike. Here, these garlands elevate the horses, transforming them into sacred figures, their role shifted to honoring Saint Rumbold. This act of homage, this visual language of reverence, resurfaces through the ages, revealing how societies continually seek to express devotion through familiar, yet evolving symbols. This collective memory, etched in our subconscious, ensures that each viewing is not merely an observation but a deep, emotional echo of cultural continuity.