Portret van Haasje Klaas 1708 - 1780

This is Jacob Houbraken's portrait of Haasje Klaas, made with engraving sometime in the 18th century. The oval frame containing Haasje serves not only as a border but also as a symbolic enclosure, reminiscent of the ancient Roman practice of using portrait busts to immortalize individuals. Consider how the pearl adornments, symbols of purity and status, echo across centuries—from ancient Roman jewelry to Renaissance portraiture, each culture imbuing the pearl with its own significance. This echoes the pearls worn by powerful women, like Roman empresses and Renaissance nobles, reflecting their virtue and elevated rank. Even the ruff collar, so prominent here, has a lineage stretching from practical necessity to high fashion, a testament to human innovation and adaptation. Such transformations remind us that no symbol exists in isolation; each is a palimpsest of human experience and collective memory. In viewing Haasje, we are also seeing a reflection of ourselves and our shared past.