Graftombe van Jan III van Merode Pietershem in de Sint-Dimpnakerk in Geel, België before 1887

This is a photograph of the tomb of Jan III van Merode Pietershem, located in the Sint-Dimpnakerk in Geel, Belgium. It captures the visual and symbolic language that was used to express power, status, and social order in the late medieval and early modern period. Tombs such as this one were not just memorials, but public statements. Commissioned by or for the elite, they used visual codes to assert lineage and piety. The recumbent effigy of Jan III, dressed in noble attire, signifies his earthly status, while the religious imagery alludes to his spiritual devotion and hope for salvation. In this case, the social and economic conditions of the time dictated the form and function of the artwork. The history of this tomb also tells us something about the patronage and tastes of the Merode family, whose political influence has been felt in the region to this day. To understand this image fully, one would want to consult genealogical records, heraldic sources, and church archives. These kinds of resources allow us to interpret the meaning of art as something that is contingent on social and institutional context.