Laatste Avondmaal 1670

This engraving of The Last Supper was etched by Wenceslaus Hollar. Notice the halo that encircles Christ's head, a beacon of divinity rooted in ancient sun symbols. The halo's predecessors can be traced back to the solar discs of ancient Egyptian deities. Over time, it was assimilated into Greco-Roman art to denote power and divinity. The early Christians adopted it to visually signify Christ's divine nature, and over centuries, it became firmly associated with holiness. Yet, the very presence of the halo also hints at the complexities of cultural memory. The halo, now synonymous with Christian art, reveals the non-linear path of symbols as they resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.