Portret van Janus Secundus 1798 - 1837

This is Ernst Willem Jan Bagelaar's portrait of Janus Secundus. Bagelaar, born in the late 18th century, captures the likeness of Secundus, a neo-Latin poet from the 16th century, through engraving. Bagelaar lived through a time of political and social upheaval. His work, like this portrait, reflects the Dutch interest in its historical figures. Secundus, known for his sensual and romantic poetry, lived in a vastly different time. His works often celebrated the body and earthly love, challenging the more conservative norms of his era. In this portrait, Bagelaar revives Secundus, linking his era with a past where art and literature flourished under different social constraints. The emotional intensity in Secundus’s eyes invites viewers to contemplate themes of desire, beauty, and humanism that marked Secundus’s life and work. What does it mean to bring back figures from the past, especially during times of revolution?