Gezicht op de Triomfboog van Orange before 1841

This print, "View of the Triumphal Arch of Orange" by Johann Hürlimann, transports us to a time of shifting European identities. Hürlimann, born in Switzerland during a period of revolution and empire, captures the Roman arch, a symbol of power and conquest. The arch, located in what is now Southern France, speaks of the layered history of Europe, echoing the rise and fall of empires. It stands as a silent witness to the ebb and flow of power, reminding us of the ways in which identity is often constructed upon the foundations of conquest and subjugation. Hürlimann's choice to depict this monument invites us to reflect on the narratives we inherit and the legacies we carry. Consider how the arch, as both a physical structure and a symbol, represents the intersection of history, memory, and identity. It asks us to consider whose stories are told through these grand structures, and whose are left out.