Illuminatie aangericht bij de promotie van enkele studenten te Utrecht, 1786 1786 - 1787

This anonymous 1786 print depicts the illumination during a student promotion in Utrecht, dominated by symbolic adornments of the building. Above the central arch, we see a radiant sun, an ancient symbol of enlightenment and knowledge. Consider its presence not only here, but also in Egyptian sun worship with Ra, and later appropriated into Christian iconography representing divine illumination. The sun’s rays, reaching out in all directions, suggest an expansive, all-encompassing wisdom associated with academic achievement and the pursuit of knowledge. Note how this emblem of ultimate clarity and truth—a beacon for seekers of knowledge—also featured prominently in masonic and enlightenment imagery, reflecting the era’s emphasis on reason and intellectual progress. Its cyclical evolution reminds us that humanity's quest for understanding continues, ever resurfacing and adapting through history.