Portrait of Jacob Hendricksz. van Swieten, formerly entitled Dirck Hendricksz van Swieten 1626

This painting portrays Jacob Hendricksz. van Swieten holding a book, his black cap and somber attire speaking to his status as a man of learning and piety. Consider the book: a symbol of knowledge, wisdom, and divine revelation. Since antiquity, holding a book signifies intellectual or spiritual enlightenment. We see this motif echoed through the ages, from ancient philosophers clutching scrolls to Renaissance scholars with their codices, each pose suggesting a lineage of knowledge passed down. The act of holding something in one's hands—a book, a scepter, a globe—engages us subconsciously, evoking trust, power, and control. This gesture is a testament to our eternal quest for understanding and meaning, a quest endlessly resurfacing in art across centuries.