Portret van een man 1867 - 1888

This is a portrait of a man by Johannes Wilhelmus Franciscus Offenberg. The subject is framed by a gilded oval, a shape that evokes the Renaissance 'oeil-de-boeuf', but here it also suggests the mass production of a locket. Consider the man’s beard. It is neatly trimmed, a signifier of bourgeois respectability, yet it also unconsciously echoes the beards of ancient philosophers, a motif that has been revived time and again. Similarly, the suit and tie, while modern, recall the formal attire of earlier eras. In fact, the tie, with its knot resembling an ouroboros, can be seen to represent cyclicality itself! Here, the artist taps into the subconscious desire for continuity, reminding us of the threads that connect us to the past. A primal need to find our place in the stream of time, where images and symbols constantly resurface, reborn in new forms.