Portret van Jacobus Theodorus Abels 1830 - 1853

This is a portrait of Jacobus Theodorus Abels, rendered with ink on paper by Henri Jean Baptiste Jolly. Consider the gaze. Jacobus' eyes meet ours, an appeal across time. In ancient Rome, the tradition of portraiture served to immortalize the individual, preserving their likeness for posterity. Think of the sculpted busts of Roman emperors, their eyes—though unseeing—projecting authority and presence. This direct engagement, this reaching out of the image to the viewer, is not merely a passive representation. The act of looking, of depicting someone looking, carries a deep psychological charge. It evokes a primal connection, tapping into our own innate need for recognition. Just as the Roman effigies sought to imprint their power upon their empire, so too does this portrait seek to leave an impression, an emotional residue in the mind of the beholder. The gaze returns, as a cyclical motif, imbued with a timeless allure, forever altered by the ever-shifting currents of history and perception.