Onderboezem met buste van Romeinse keizer c. 1655 - 1657

Antoine Pierretz created this underboezem with a bust of a Roman Emperor through engraving. The image overflows with symbols of power and classicism. The Roman Emperor, framed in an oval, looks out, a laurel wreath upon his head. Laurel wreaths, you see, were bestowed in ancient times to celebrate military victory or intellectual accomplishment. Below, draped figures stand flanking a dark, rectangular space, their presence speaking to the enduring influence of classical ideals in later eras. But let us not be too quick to assume that these symbols exist in isolation. These motifs are echoes, reverberations of antiquity in periods that yearn for the grandeur of the past. The figure of the emperor reminds us that the desire for authority is timeless, and the image thus engages us on a deep, subconscious level. The Roman figure acts as a touchstone, a reminder that we are all players on the stage of history. The symbolism does not end with Rome however, but finds rebirth in different epochs.