Gezicht op het Vrijheidsplein te Zadar in Kroatië 1847

Dirk Wijbrand Tollenaar created this image of Freedom Square in Zadar, Croatia, using etching. Note the ancient Roman column standing prominently in the square. This column, crowned with its classical capital, serves as a potent symbol of historical continuity and authority. Such columns, once integral to Roman civic life, often reappeared throughout history, repurposed to signify power and legitimacy. Consider Trajan’s Column in Rome, a monument of imperial might. Over time, columns like these evolved, sometimes Christianized with a cross atop, yet their foundational message of enduring strength remained. The image's column carries a certain melancholic weight, suggesting the cyclical nature of empires. Like a ghost, it reminds us how past civilizations shape our present, evoking a deep, subconscious connection to ancestral memory.