Portret van George I, hertog van Brunswijk-Luneburg 1705 - 1799

Joseph de Montalegre created this engraving of George I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Dominating the image is George's elaborate wig, a symbol of power and status in the 17th and 18th centuries. Consider how hair, throughout history, has been imbued with symbolic weight. Think of the long, flowing locks of Samson, representing strength, or the tonsured heads of monks, signifying devotion. The wig, then, becomes another iteration of this potent symbol, signifying the wearer's place in society. In this image, the wig is carefully rendered to convey George's status and authority. Yet, the wig is also artificial, a constructed symbol. Perhaps it reveals a deeper human desire to control and manipulate our image, masking anxieties about aging, and projecting an idealized self. This cycle, a recurring human drama, finds new expression in George's carefully crafted public persona.