Portret van Thomas Ashton c. 1750 - 1765

James McArdell's portrait of Thomas Ashton, rendered in shades of grey, presents us with a man cloaked in the garments of his office. The symbols here are not overtly religious, but deeply embedded in social and intellectual authority of the 18th century. Consider the wig, a cascade of white curls. Once a marker of nobility and aristocracy, it has since become a costume of the learned professions. Similarly, the clerical collar, a plain band of white, speaks to a lineage stretching back to the early Church. These sartorial symbols are more than mere clothing. They're a carefully constructed language, communicating power, status, and adherence to tradition. This desire to portray authority is not new; we can find similar examples in ancient Roman senatorial portraits, the robes a marker of status. Over time, as societies changed, so did the symbols of status. The wig, in particular, a symbol of power in one era, has now all but disappeared. Despite their changing forms and meanings, the symbols of authority tap into something primal: the need for order, the comfort of established hierarchies. This image, like countless others, reminds us of the enduring power of symbols to shape our perceptions and stir our emotions, resonating with our collective memory.