Gezicht op het monument voor Richard Ferris in de Sint-Pieterskerk in Barnstaple before 1882

This is an image of Richard Ferris’s monument in St. Peter's Church, Barnstaple, its maker unknown. The monument presents a recumbent figure of Ferris, a palm branch in hand, surrounded by symbolic emblems. The palm, a motif stretching back to ancient Rome, signified victory and eternal life. See how this symbol has traveled through time, shedding its pagan origins, to be reborn in Christian iconography? This symbol of triumph is powerful. The monument acts as a cultural vessel, channeling the emotions of grief, respect, and remembrance. Like a phoenix, the palm’s presence in this monument isn’t a simple, linear continuation, but a cyclical rebirth, constantly reshaped. The palm branch shows the persistence of images and how they are forever transformed through time.