Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1855 - 1885

This portrait of an unknown woman was created in the 19th century by Hanns Hanfstaengl, employing the then-novel medium of photography. She wears a braided hairstyle that evokes classical sculptures and painted portraits of the Renaissance—a time when artists turned to classical antiquity for inspiration and ideals of beauty. The tradition of braiding and elaborate hairstyles can be traced back further through time; consider, for example, the coiffures depicted in ancient Greek art. The circular brooch worn by the sitter is an emblem of continuity, a subtle echo of the cyclical nature of time and fashion. Like the serpent Ouroboros, that consumes its own tail, these symbols appear, disappear, and reappear—resonating in the depths of our collective memory. This emblem transcends epochs, reminding us of history's cyclical progression and how symbols resurface, transformed by new contexts.