Portret van kardinaal Joseph Maria Thomasius 1682 - 1717

Nicola Oddi etched this portrait of Cardinal Joseph Maria Thomasius in the early 18th century. Observe the rosary beads in his hand and the icon he holds, symbols deeply rooted in Catholic devotion. The rosary, a string of beads used for prayer, didn't originate in a vacuum. Its structure echoes ancient prayer traditions found across cultures. Consider the worry beads of ancient Greece or the Buddhist mala beads. These objects serve not just as counters for prayers, but also as a tactile connection to the divine, a way to focus the wandering mind. Similarly, icons, like the one depicted, serve as windows into the sacred, harking back to the Roman tradition of ancestor portraits, except here, the ancestors are holy figures. The endurance of these motifs demonstrates the human need for tangible connections to faith. These symbols are powerful forces, engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. A non-linear, cyclical progression, as these reappear, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.