Portret van Henri Leys 1831 - 1890

This is Jean Baptiste Pierre Michiels’s portrait of Henri Leys, made using etching techniques. We see Leys in profile, a framing reminiscent of ancient Roman portraiture, which aimed to capture not just likeness but also virtue and character. The profile view itself is a powerful symbol, repeated through history, from coins to cameos. It speaks to a desire to immortalize, to distill the essence of an individual for posterity. This echoes the Renaissance interest in reviving classical forms, embodying a sense of timelessness. Consider how such profiles appear on currency, linking individual identity to broader concepts of value and power. This act of remembrance taps into our collective memory, evoking a sense of continuity with the past. Each time it reappears, it carries echoes of its previous lives, evolving in meaning yet remaining tethered to its origins. This portrait is not just an image of a man but a link in a chain that binds us to the past.