Portret van Christian Gottfried Hofmann 1723

This is Martin Bernigeroth’s 18th-century engraving of Christian Gottfried Hofmann, made in Frankfurt. Notice Hofmann’s elaborate wig, a paramount symbol of status and power in his time. The wig, derived from earlier functional uses, evolved into a potent emblem of the elite. Consider the full-bottomed wig, cascading like a lion’s mane; it visually connected the wearer to notions of authority and virility. We can trace this symbolism to royal and religious figures throughout history—think of the halo or crown, each a claim to elevated status. Like the scepter or the throne, the wig became an indispensable prop in the theater of power. Its exaggerated form speaks to the human desire to augment oneself, to project an image larger than life, stirring in us a primal recognition of dominance. From ancient headdresses to modern hairstyles, the impulse to signal identity and status through adornment persists, a testament to the enduring power of symbols in our collective psyche.