Portret van Tertullianus 1830

Bernard Romain Julien rendered this portrait of Tertullian with a needle in 1837. Here, Tertullian is depicted with a turban wrapped around his head, a striking visual motif. The turban, often associated with Eastern cultures, carries a complex history. While in some contexts it signifies nobility or religious piety, its appearance here, on a 2nd-century North African theologian, complicates such interpretations. The turban as a signifier evolves across centuries; in some eras it represents the exotic other, while in others, it becomes a symbol of defiance or resistance. Consider its appearance in Renaissance paintings, adorning figures meant to evoke wisdom and the ancient world. This intermingling of cultural symbols reflects our collective unconscious, where images and motifs resurface, layered with new meanings, mirroring the cyclical nature of history itself. The gaze, directed downwards, invites introspection, hinting at the profound, often turbulent, depths of faith and reason.