Portret van Conrad Mel 1705 - 1733

This is Martin Bernigeroth’s portrait of Conrad Mel, made with engraving. Look at the sitter's clerical collar, the white band set against dark robes. It is not merely a fashion of the 17th century. This simple, powerful symbol echoes through centuries, a distant cousin to the linen bands worn by ancient priests. Consider the evolution from the vestments of the Old Testament to the simple, almost austere, neckwear of Mel. It embodies a shift from elaborate ritual to a focus on the word. Psychologically, the collar is a stark delineation, separating the sacred from the everyday. Think of the ways authority and knowledge have been symbolized throughout history. Bernigeroth’s portrait isn’t just a likeness; it’s a node in a vast web of cultural memory, where symbols never truly die but are reborn, carrying echoes of the past into the present.