Gezicht op kasteel Bernissem

This print, made by Romeyn de Hooghe, depicts Gezicht op kasteel Bernissem. Above the orderly garden and stoic architecture is a shield, announcing a lineage with the visual language of heraldry. Consider the symbolism here. The shield, a tool of war, transformed into a canvas declaring identity and status. Similar displays appear throughout history, from the standards of Roman legions to the family crests adorning Renaissance palaces. The symbols evolve, but the impulse remains: to assert power, lineage, and belonging. Like the serpent, or ouroboros, heraldry is a visual echo across time. Each age reinvents it, reflecting its anxieties and aspirations. In the collective memory, these images persist, influencing our perceptions of authority and social order. They shape our dreams and nightmares.