Portret van Lord Chief Baron Comyn 1745

Jacob Houbraken’s portrait of Lord Chief Baron Comyn presents us with a vision of power. The wig, far more than mere fashion, signifies status and authority, a visible manifestation of belonging to the elite ranks of society. Consider the evolution of such symbols: the elaborate hairstyles of the French court or even the priestly tonsure, all designed to denote specific roles and hierarchies. The wig, however, carries its own unique weight, becoming almost a mask of authority. This artifice is not a deception, but a declaration. We see echoes of this in earlier Renaissance portraits, where specific garments and adornments signaled status. The urge to visually represent power is a recurring theme. What does it mean that even today, in a supposedly more egalitarian age, symbols of status persist, albeit in different forms? It suggests that the human psyche is eternally drawn to displays of hierarchy and achievement, a primal instinct playing out on the stage of social life.