Portret van de Franse kanselier Pierre Seguier 1662 - 1663

Pieter van Schuppen’s engraving portrays the French Chancellor Pierre Seguier, framed by a laurel wreath, and with a heraldic shield beneath. The laurel, a symbol since antiquity, signifies triumph and eternal glory, adorning emperors and heroes alike. Here, it crowns a man of power, reminding us of the enduring human desire for recognition. Note the heraldic shield, replete with symbols of family lineage and status, a visual claim to authority. Such emblems are not mere decoration; they are potent assertions of identity, reaching back through generations. The laurel wreath, we see it echoed in Renaissance paintings, ancient Roman sculptures, always whispering of victory. But victory over what? Perhaps, over time itself, as these symbols endlessly re-emerge, each time imbued with new nuances, yet forever linked to our collective past. They engage us on a primal level, tapping into deeply ingrained archetypes of power and belonging.