Portret van Henrik Antoni Tollé 1790

This is Jacob Schwartzenbach's portrait of Henrik Antoni Tollé, made using etching. Observe the subject's wig and clerical collar. These are not mere fashion statements but potent symbols of status and authority in 18th-century society. Consider the wig, a cascade of artificial curls. We see echoes of royal and aristocratic portraiture, where elaborate attire signifies power. Think of the portraits of Louis XIV, whose wigs were a deliberate statement of his divine right to rule. The wig, adopted by the clergy, transformed into a symbol of intellectual and moral authority. The severe clerical collar speaks of piety and dedication to spiritual duty. The motif of the collar, while simple, carries the weight of centuries, harking back to monastic traditions of obedience. These symbols of identity, status and authority, serve not only to depict an individual but also to evoke deeply ingrained social memories.