Bibliotheek van de voormalige abdij van Sainte-Geneviève te Parijs 1826

This print captures the Bibliotheek van de voormalige abdij van Sainte-Geneviève in Paris, depicting an expansive library hall lined with busts. These portrait busts lining the corridors are more than mere decoration; they're potent symbols of the classical world. We see here a conscious revival, an *Antike* transformed. These busts, echoing Roman portraiture, hearken back to an era of intellectual and civic virtue. Note the tradition of placing busts of scholars and thinkers in libraries dates back to antiquity itself, as a way of invoking the spirits of knowledge and wisdom. The repetition of classical motifs—the arches, the ornamentation—creates an atmosphere charged with the weight of history. It's as if the past is not merely remembered, but actively resurrected, shaping the present moment.