Portret van Johann Jakob Moser op 74-jarige leeftijd 1775

This engraving by Johann Elias Haid portrays Johann Jakob Moser at the venerable age of 74. Notice the elaborate lace cravat at Moser’s throat and the meticulously curled wig. These were potent symbols of status and intellect in the 18th century, linking the wearer to a lineage of power and enlightenment. The wig, derived from the court of Louis XIV, became a mask of authority, transforming the wearer's identity. Yet, the wig's very artificiality hints at a deeper psychological tension—a desire to transcend the natural, perhaps to mask the ravages of time, or even to conceal some aspect of the self. This is evident in ancient Egyptian portraiture as well as Renaissance painting. The powdered wig has faded, yet its echoes persist. The human impulse to adorn, to perform identity, remains timeless.