Gezicht op de Sint-Pietersbasiliek en het Sint-Pietersplein, te Vaticaanstad

This engraving depicts Saint Peter's Basilica and Square in the Vatican City. Dominating the scene is the obelisk, a symbol with roots stretching back to ancient Egypt, where it represented the sun god Ra. Transplanted to Rome, the obelisk underwent a metamorphosis. No longer a pagan symbol, it was surmounted with a cross, Christianizing it. This act embodies the principle of *Nachleben*, the afterlife of images, where symbols migrate across cultures and epochs, accruing new meanings while retaining echoes of their past. Consider the emotional weight of this transformation, the subconscious tension between pagan monument and Christian symbol. Like the serpent—a symbol that embodies both healing and destruction—the obelisk represents a complex interplay of cultural memory, forever oscillating in meaning. The very act of re-contextualization reveals how symbols remain potent, engaging us on a visceral level.