Portret van Charles Joseph Colnet du Ravel 1855

This portrait of Petrus Gualterius Chabotivs, a philosopher, captures the essence of Renaissance intellectualism through its symbolic frame. Note the flowers, butterflies and vegetal ornaments surrounding the oval border. The circular frame itself, inscribed with the philosopher’s name, is a motif that can be traced back to ancient Roman portraiture. In Roman times, portrait busts were framed in a similar fashion to celebrate the importance of the individual. Here, the choice of floral and natural motifs speaks to a humanist appreciation of the natural world, common in Renaissance art. The butterfly is also interesting; it is a classical symbol for the soul. In the time of the ancient Greeks, Psyche, the goddess of the soul, was depicted with butterfly wings. The image of the butterfly, therefore, transcends time and embodies the ever-evolving human spirit, fluttering between epochs.