Maskerade van de Delftse studenten, 1857 (plaat 4) 1857

Johan Hendrik Hoffmeister created this print in 1857, depicting a masquerade of Delft students. The image is dominated by the procession, led by students dressed as spearmen, followed by an elaborately harnessed team of horses pulling a carriage with a parasol-shaded passenger area. Here, the parasol, more than a sunshade, is a symbol of status, echoing ancient traditions of royal processions. We observe a distant echo of antiquity - think of the Roman triumph, where conquered leaders and their symbols were paraded, a display of power. The masquerade holds this echo, albeit translated into a playful celebration. The procession evokes the psychological allure of spectacle and the subconscious desire for order and hierarchy. The playful appropriation and reinterpretation of symbols throughout history reveal a continuous, cyclical pattern. These symbols are not static, but rather, are constantly evolving in meaning with each reappearance.