The Image of Dimitrie Cantemir as a Spiritual Leader of the Romanian Education System – A Research on his Visual Identity

In the universal culture, Dimitrie Cantemir image is represented by an outstanding personality of the 18th century, famous due to his multiple achievements in many fields. The study aims to describe the manner in which different education institutions bearing the name Dimitrie Cantemir build their famous image. The paper also makes researches about the existence of recurrent elements, their way they are used and the manner in which they choose to visually honour their spiritual leader. Having chosen the patronage of a great personality such as Dimitrie Cantemir generates the instantaneous recognition of the name and qualities that the collective memory assigns to him. Such famous qualities are implicitly transferred to the organization that chooses him as spiritual leader and that wishes to appropriate its achievements through him. At the same time, by the constant circulation of the organization’s name, it maintains and refreshes his memory into the collective memory, being loaded in its turn with the values that that particular institution circulates.