Portret van Caspar Duscher 1669

This is Johann Friedrich Leonard's 17th-century portrait of Caspar Duscher, rendered with the precise lines of an engraving. Duscher, a man of evident stature, holds a tassel, a symbol of status and authority, a marker of one's place within the societal tapestry. The tassel, though seemingly simple, echoes through history. In ancient Assyria, it adorned the garments of kings, signifying divine right. Later, in Renaissance Europe, similar adornments marked intellectuals and dignitaries. We see here the cyclical return of symbols, an attempt to legitimize power through visual cues. Observe how the subconscious yearns for order, for signs that confirm the established hierarchy. Duscher’s firm grip on the tassel is not merely a holding of fabric; it is a declaration, a visual assertion of control. It evokes a deep, subconscious reaction within us, stirring feelings of respect, or perhaps, a subtle unease at the display of authority. It is a dance between the conscious and unconscious.