Exterieur van Brasserie Wielemans te Antwerpen before 1894

Th. Lantin's photograph captures the exterior of Brasserie Wielemans in Antwerp during the Exposition Universelle of 1894. Perched atop the building are two figures, each holding aloft what appears to be a torch. The torch is a powerful symbol, resonating with Promethean defiance and enlightenment, a motif carried through time from ancient Greek vases to the modern Olympic Games. In classical art, the torch signified not just light but also truth and knowledge, often depicted in allegorical representations of wisdom or education. Note how the torch's meaning shifts; from a beacon of intellectual pursuit in the Renaissance to a symbol of liberty, as seen in Bartholdi’s Statue of Liberty. Here in Antwerp, it signifies progress, a collective aspiration toward a brighter, modern future. This symbol continues its eternal transmigration, subtly altered by time and context, yet perpetually rekindling humanity's hopes.