Gezicht op de Grote Markt en een deel van het stadhuis in Brussel 1866 - 1870

This photograph by Jules Hippolyte Quéval captures Brussels' Grote Markt, dominated by the city hall. The tower, a vertical thrust, speaks to the city's ambitions, reminiscent of ancient obelisks and medieval cathedrals reaching for the divine. Consider the façade - it's not merely stone, but a stage for civic pride. Such architectural displays echo through history. Think of Roman forums or Renaissance palazzi - each a declaration of power and cultural identity. Here, the arches and ornate windows invite comparison to Gothic cathedrals, adapted for secular governance. The collective memory embedded in these forms engages the subconscious, evoking feelings of stability, authority, and communal identity. Observe how Quéval frames the scene, drawing us into this tableau of urban life. Buildings like these recur, adapt, and find new meanings in the theatre of history.