Jongedame voorgesteld aan een edelman 1781 - 1782

Louis Michel Halbou etched this scene of a young lady being introduced to a nobleman. Notice the rosary beads hanging prominently from the older woman’s waist; these beads are not merely a symbol of piety but a performative display of Catholic virtue, especially poignant in the context of societal expectations and religious identity. Consider how the rosary echoes the ancient use of beads in various cultures—from prayer beads in Buddhism to the knotted strings of the Andes—each serving as mnemonic devices that structure thought and devotion. This motif transcends its religious function, tapping into a universal, almost primal, human need to structure time, memory, and spirituality through tactile objects. It highlights the psychological function of ritual objects in providing comfort, order, and continuity across generations, offering a sense of grounding in a world of chaos and change. The image evokes the cyclical recurrence of cultural symbols and their enduring presence in the human psyche.