Hoofd van een jongeman 1727 - 1755

Francois Boucher etched this Head of a Young Man, now held at the Rijksmuseum, capturing the fashion of his era through the elaborate hairstyle. The curls, meticulously rendered, speak of status and meticulous grooming. This motif of carefully styled hair isn’t new; it echoes across centuries, from classical sculptures of gods and emperors to Renaissance portraits where hair was a statement of power and identity. Think of the flowing locks of a Greek Apollo, or even the carefully arranged wigs of the French court—each curl a symbol of control and cultivation. Consider how hair, often associated with untamed nature, is here tamed and stylized. This transformation mirrors humanity’s perennial effort to impose order on the natural world, a psychological dance between chaos and control. The image, therefore, is more than just a portrait; it's a manifestation of cultural aspirations and anxieties, a recurring theme in the human story.