Gedenkteken voor koning Lodewijk XVI van Frankrijk 1793 - 1813

This print, made by Jacob Willem Strunck, presents a bust of Louis XVI atop a pedestal, flanked by allegorical figures representing grief and triumph. Consider the figure on the left: in posture, she is akin to ancient depictions of mourning figures. We see this gesture in countless iterations across time - from ancient sarcophagi to Renaissance paintings - a hand pressed to the face, embodying a primal, almost universal expression of sorrow. Compare this, if you will, with the triumphant figure on the right, torch raised high. This contrast encapsulates the complex emotions surrounding Louis's execution, a moment of tragic loss, but also of revolutionary triumph. These gestures, charged with historical weight, awaken collective memories and stir deep emotional undercurrents. Such gestures, repeated across centuries, are not mere copies, but living symbols, evolving and transforming in resonance with the changing human psyche.