Portret van Jan III, koning van Polen, groothertog van Litouwen, te paard 1674

This is Romeyn de Hooghe’s etching of Jan III, King of Poland, made sometime around the late 17th century. Here, we see the King on horseback, a classical symbol of power and authority that echoes back to ancient equestrian statues of Roman emperors. Underneath the horse, the vanquished foe lies prostrate, a visual shorthand for triumph over enemies. Above, allegorical figures celebrate Jan III's victories. Consider the symbolic weight of the horse, recurring across cultures from the horses of Saint Mark’s Basilica to the Trojan Horse; it transcends mere transport. The depiction of defeated enemies underfoot is just as ancient, echoing in images from ancient battle reliefs to Renaissance depictions of saints triumphing over demons. Such motifs tap into a deep well of collective memory, evoking primal emotions. The psychological power of these symbols lies in their ability to resonate across generations, continually reappearing, reinterpreted, yet always echoing the past.