Gezicht op de voorzijde van het stadhuis van Antwerpen, België before 1880

This photograph captures the facade of Antwerp's city hall, a structure erected in the 16th century. Dominating its apex is the figure of an eagle, a symbol laden with historical weight. The eagle, prominently displayed, echoes the Roman Empire's standards, where it signified power, victory, and imperial dominion. But its symbolic journey does not end there. In Christian iconography, the eagle is associated with Saint John the Evangelist, representing spiritual vision. This symbol of power and divinity has been appropriated and adapted across centuries and cultures. Consider the psychological weight of such a symbol. The eagle, as a recurring motif, taps into our collective memory, stirring deep-seated associations with authority and transcendence. It speaks to the human desire for order and control, a desire that manifests in the architecture of civic power. The eagle continues to resurface, transformed yet recognizable, in different epochs, reflecting our ever-evolving relationship with power and the divine.