St. Charlemagne and St. Louis 1620 - 1670

This print, made by Grégoire Huret, depicts Saint Charlemagne and Saint Louis beneath a cross, laden with symbolic weight. The cross, of course, is the preeminent symbol of Christianity, but here, it is accompanied by the inscription "In Hoc Signo Vinces," meaning "In this sign, you will conquer." This phrase hearkens back to Constantine's vision before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, a moment that presaged Christianity's ascendance in the Roman Empire. The motif of a ruler standing triumphantly over a defeated foe, as Charlemagne does here with the multi-headed serpent, is an ancient one. We see echoes of it in depictions of Roman emperors and even further back in Mesopotamian art. Consider, too, how the serpent, a symbol of chaos and evil, is transmuted across cultures. In some contexts, it represents wisdom and healing, a duality that speaks to our complex relationship with primal forces. Such symbols resonate deeply, tapping into a collective unconscious that transcends time. It reminds us that these images are not static, but living entities, constantly reshaped by the currents of history and human emotion.