Twee gezichten op de optocht van Landjuweel ter ere van het vijftigjarig bestaan van de Academie d'Archéologie de Belgique in 1892 in Antwerpen 1892

This photograph by the Dero Brothers captures the Landjuweel parade in Antwerp, 1892, celebrating the Belgian Academy of Archaeology's 50th anniversary. We see elaborate floats processing through the city, each a tableau vivant filled with symbolic figures. Note the float depicting the 'Apotheosis of Quintin Matsys.' Such scenes of apotheosis hearken back to classical antiquity, where emperors and heroes were elevated to divine status. This motif evolved through the Renaissance, becoming a popular way to honor artists and intellectuals, connecting them to a lineage of greatness. The motif reflects a deep-seated human desire to immortalize achievements and individuals, tapping into a collective memory of heroism and inspiration. This impulse to elevate figures is a powerful force, one that resonates even today. It demonstrates how symbols resurface and are reinterpreted across time.