Portret van de predikant Hermanus van Hasselt 1796 - 1826

Hendrik Roosing created this print of Hermanus van Hasselt. Observe the clergyman’s attire, particularly the bands at his neck. These are not mere fashion but a potent symbol of clerical authority dating back to the Reformation. They signify his office, his devotion, and his connection to a lineage of religious thinkers. Similar sartorial symbols recur across history. Consider the elaborate robes of medieval clergy or even the simple garb of early Christian monks. These symbols, like the clergyman’s bands, create a powerful, immediate impression. Such symbols tap into what we might call a collective memory, a shared understanding of roles and hierarchies, reminding us that history is not linear but cyclical. The clergyman’s bands connect him to centuries of religious tradition, but in a way that also subtly reshapes that very tradition for his time.