Portret van Hendrik Willem Mesdag 1895

This sepia lithograph captures Hendrik Willem Mesdag in profile, a Dutch marine painter of the Hague School. Veth’s choice to portray Mesdag in profile isn't merely stylistic; it echoes the historical portrayal of emperors and rulers on coins and busts, suggesting dignity and authority. Consider, for instance, Roman portraiture, where the profile view was used to convey a sense of gravitas and power. This isn't to say Veth deifies Mesdag, but it taps into a visual language that has long been associated with respect and admiration. The hat, an object as banal as it is ubiquitous, once served to denote status and trade. The hat hides and protects, yet here, it conveys the sitter’s status. The collective memory of what a hat signifies subconsciously impacts the production and interpretation of the motif. Thus, Veth's portrait becomes more than a mere likeness; it's a study in how symbols resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings across time.