Portrait of Giovanni Agostino della Torre and his son Niccolò 1515

Lorenzo Lotto painted Giovanni Agostino della Torre and his son Niccolò, sometime in the first half of the sixteenth century, using oil on canvas. Note the elder della Torre’s grip on the crumpled paper in his left hand, a symbol of his profession as a record keeper. In his right, he carries a large ledger, reminiscent of those held by saints and evangelists of the medieval era. The book, here, signifies worldly knowledge and civic duty, not unlike the classical Roman tradition of holding scrolls to denote wisdom and authority. The presence of the son looking outwards, beyond his father, signals the continuation and reinvention of tradition. Consider how, over time, the act of carrying sacred texts evolved from religious veneration to secular demonstration of civic responsibility and familial duty. The image’s emotional power lies in the delicate balance of continuity and change. Such cyclical returns and reinventions echo throughout history, reminding us of how past symbols are continually reshaped by the currents of time and culture.