Deel van de voorgevel van het Gewandhaus te Braunschweig 1892

This image, by J. Schombardt, depicts a section of the Gewandhaus facade in Braunschweig. Dominating the structure's apex is a statue, seemingly angelic, holding a spear. This figure embodies the classical ideal of Victory, a symbol deeply rooted in antiquity. Consider the Winged Victory of Samothrace; both figures share this triumphant stance, embodying triumph and aspiration. But, while Victory once symbolized military prowess, here, atop the Gewandhaus, she likely presides over civic or commercial success. Such a shift illustrates how symbols, though persistent, undergo semantic transformations across eras. The human psyche is drawn to such imagery; the desire for triumph, the allure of the divine, these archetypes touch our subconscious. Here, the image engages us not merely as observers, but as participants in a cultural drama that stretches from ancient Greece to modern Germany. The winged figure of Victory, therefore, isn't just a static emblem but a potent symbol of the ever-evolving interplay between past and present.