Festa della Sensa (zevende gedeelte) 1679

Jost Amman created this print, now at the Rijksmuseum, capturing Venice's Festa della Sensa. The procession, the heart of this festival, carries symbols of Venetian power and piety. Banners, religious emblems, and the Doge himself, elevated on a throne-like platform, all speak to Venice's self-image. Consider the banners—flags are ancient symbols of authority, yet their fluttering forms also evoke the winds of fate. These symbols reappear across cultures; think of Roman standards or medieval heraldry, each adapted to its time, bearing unique burdens of meaning. The Doge atop his platform reminds us of rulers carried aloft in ancient Rome or pharaohs on their litters, all figures distanced from the common man, embodiments of power made manifest. Such displays tap into our collective memory, triggering subconscious associations with authority, reverence, and the eternal human quest for order. This need, this deeply human impulse, continually reshapes these symbols, each epoch imprinting its own fears and desires upon them. It's not a linear progression, but a cyclical return, as these symbols resurface, evolve, and take on new life.