G. de Lichtenbergs Gravmæle i Klosterkirken i Horsens 1753

This print, "G. de Lichtenbergs Gravmæle i Klosterkirken i Horsens," was created by Odvardt Helmoldt de Lode. It depicts a tomb adorned with rich symbolism. Dominating the upper register is the symbol of the Holy Trinity—the equilateral triangle—an ancient motif representing the indivisible union of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The symbol's use transcends religious boundaries. We can find such triangles in pre-Christian Europe, such as those adorning the clothing of figures depicted on the Trundholm sun chariot. The image of a deity is rendered in triplicate, an attempt to capture the inconceivable nature of the divine. Note the putti, the winged infants that recall classical Cupids, symbols of love and the soul. They stand as witnesses, blurring the lines between the sacred and the profane. The persistence of classical motifs speaks to a collective memory, a subconscious echo of earlier cultural forms that re-emerge, transformed, in new contexts. This symbol touches our emotions, evoking feelings of melancholy, beauty, and the ongoing dialogue between past and present. They represent cycles of rebirth, their forms ever-changing yet eternally recurring.