Façade van de voormalige seminarie van de jezuïeten te Nancy before 1896

This image depicts the facade of the former Jesuit seminary in Nancy, capturing its architectural details with a stark, documentary eye. Note the prominent cartouche centered on the facade. Embellished with symbolic ornamentation, it asserts authority. The cartouche is a motif that goes back to ancient Egypt where it was an oval frame enclosing a pharaoh's name. Later, it resurfaced in Renaissance Europe, adorning buildings and proclaiming lineage. The collective memory embedded in such symbols is powerful. Consider how the architectural elements, like the symmetrical windows and imposing doorway, contribute to the seminary's visual message of order and control. It is a non-linear, cyclical progression of symbols, resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings in different historical contexts.