Portiek met wapentrofee en twee geketende krijgsgevangenen of slaafgemaakte mannen c. 1670 - 1680

Jean Lepautre etched this portico with war trophies and chained prisoners in the 17th century. Above the door, we see vanquished figures beneath a pile of captured arms. These motifs are ancient. The trophy, stemming from the Greek "tropaion," originally a monument to a battlefield victory, evolved into a symbol of dominance. The bound prisoners mirror similar images throughout history, from Roman triumphal arches to Renaissance battle scenes. Their chains symbolize not just physical subjugation, but also the psychological weight of defeat, a primal fear etched into our collective memory. Consider how such displays, intended to assert power, also reveal a deeper anxiety about the fragility of victory. This symbolic language echoes through time, resurfacing in various forms, each iteration subtly shifting its meaning, yet always tapping into our fundamental understanding of power, submission, and the cyclical nature of conflict.