Staande man met zweep c. 1617 - 1681

Cornelis Saftleven rendered this drawing of a standing man with a whip using black chalk and brush in grey on grey paper. The figure’s most striking attribute, the whip, has been a symbol of power and authority since antiquity. Consider its presence in ancient Egyptian art, where pharaohs wielded ceremonial whips as emblems of their divine right to rule. The motif of the whip then reappears throughout history, from Roman military leaders to equestrian statues of emperors. The symbolic weight of this motif is not limited to displays of power but also serves as a visual shorthand for control. Yet, in Saftleven's rendering, the whip's meaning is ambiguous. Is it a tool for discipline, or a symbol of the figure’s dominion over his environment? This ambiguity reflects the complex nature of symbols, for they never remain static but instead accrue layers of meaning as they travel through time. It is this cyclical progression that reveals the enduring psychological power of symbols, engaging us on a subconscious level.