Portret van Rudolf Agricola 17th century

This is a portrait of Rudolf Agricola, made with printmaking techniques by an anonymous artist. Note the oval frame encircling Agricola, a shape that has echoed through time, symbolizing totality and eternity. The oval is an ancient symbol. It first appeared in early Renaissance art to frame portraits of scholars and humanists, emphasizing their completeness. This shape appears in Byzantine icons, where saints are encapsulated within mandorlas. The act of framing is in itself significant; in early Renaissance art, portraits of scholars and humanists, framed by ovals, represent the humanist ideal of a complete individual. This is a motif that returns in numerous contexts, its continuous form echoing the cyclical nature of cultural memory.