Portret van Marie-Dominique-Auguste Sibour, aartsbisschop van Parijs 1848

Marie-Alexandre Alophe rendered this lithograph of Marie-Dominique-Auguste Sibour, Archbishop of Paris. Dominating the composition is the figure of Sibour, adorned in his clerical attire. His vestments and the cross hanging from his neck are powerful symbols of his religious authority and position within the Catholic Church. In his left hand, he is holding what appears to be a book, and with the other, presents a framed image of a man, perhaps himself, as a younger man. The book might represent sacred texts, while the portrait within a portrait serves as a memento. We can see similar gestures and motifs throughout history, such as the presentation of religious figures holding books. This lithograph invites us to contemplate the cyclical nature of memory and identity, the way in which our past selves continue to influence our present. These recurring motifs speak to our collective human experience.