Frederikke Koës Treschow, til Lyngbæksgaard 19th century

This is C. Simonsen's rendering of Frederikke Koës Treschow. Observe the subject's hairstyle: the meticulously arranged curls framing her face, and the braided knot atop her head. Hairstyles, like any ornament, are never simply aesthetic. In the Renaissance, elaborate braids signified status and virtue. Here, in the 19th century, a similar desire for social affirmation surfaces. The controlled curls express a carefully constructed image of femininity, reflecting societal expectations and personal aspirations. Yet, these coils also evoke something deeper. Spirals, found in nature and art across millennia, symbolize cycles of growth, decay, and rebirth. From ancient labyrinths to Baroque ornamentation, the spiral evokes a sense of continuous becoming. Frederikke's curls, then, speak not only of social presentation but also of the cyclical nature of life itself. The portrait acts as a mirror, reflecting our own subconscious desires and anxieties about appearance, status, and the relentless march of time.