Grafmonument in de vorm van obelisk before 1706

This print by Jean Lepautre depicts a tomb monument in the shape of an obelisk, that most ancient of forms, a silent, skyward-pointing witness of earthly events. The obelisk, initially erected by the Egyptians to honor the sun god Ra, became a symbol appropriated by Roman emperors to celebrate their power and victories. Here, in this early modern memorial, it stands as a link to antiquity, a vestige of civilizations past. The figures at the base remind us of the rituals of mourning, gestures of grief which have resonated across cultures and centuries. Consider how the obelisk has reappeared throughout history, a potent emblem of authority and remembrance, from the Place de la Concorde in Paris to the Washington Monument. Each time, it carries echoes of its past lives, yet its meaning shifts, adapts, and resurfaces in new contexts. The collective memory embedded in these forms creates a powerful, subconscious connection. A profound, visual language capable of stirring deep emotional currents within us all.