Gezicht op de Römer Zaal te Frankfurt am Main met een maaltijd voor de keizer en keurvorsten op 22 juni en 1 augustus 1758 1758 - 1799

Basset's print captures the Römer Hall in Frankfurt during the imperial election banquet of 1758. The elaborate feast, staged within a grand hall, signals power and abundance. The image's deeper symbolic weight rests on the recurring motif of communal feasting, echoing ancient symposiums and religious banquets. Think of the Last Supper or even earlier, pagan rituals— shared meals have long symbolized unity and hierarchy. The arrangement of the tables here, with the most important figures seated prominently, isn't just about logistics; it's a visual language that reinforces social order. Such displays tap into a deep-seated human need for connection and belonging, yet simultaneously highlight the divisions within society. The act of eating together, a primal act, becomes a performance of power. These symbolic gestures, though adapted to new contexts, reveal the enduring human preoccupation with status, community, and ritual.