Gravmonument over kongelig bibliotekar Jon Erichsen 1762 - 1824

This print by Johan Christoph Seehusen is a memorial to the royal librarian Jon Erichsen. Central is the portrait of Erichsen, flanked by obelisks and topped with classical motifs like laurel wreaths and inscriptions. The obelisk, an ancient Egyptian form, recurs throughout history as a symbol of remembrance and eternity, its towering presence intended to defy the ravages of time. We see it echoed in Roman monuments and later in Neoclassical designs, each instance carrying a whisper of past civilizations. The weeping figures, a classical trope, evoke profound sorrow. These figures transcend mere personal grief; they tap into a collective memory of loss. In their posture and expression, we recognize the universal lament found in countless funerary sculptures from antiquity to the present day. The cyclical return of these symbols—the obelisk, the weeping figure—reveals how cultural memory operates. They persist, adapted and reinterpreted, carrying emotional and psychological weight across generations. The symbols engage us on a subconscious level, resonating with deep-seated feelings about mortality, memory, and the enduring power of the past.