Portret van Peter Lund Simmonds before 1885

This printed portrait of Peter Lund Simmonds, an agent in Bombay, presents us with an image laden with symbols of authority and commerce. Simmonds, with his full beard and formal attire, embodies the Victorian ideal of the successful merchant, a figure deeply entwined with the colonial enterprise. The beard, a recurring motif throughout history, signifies wisdom and virility. Consider the beards of ancient philosophers and biblical prophets, each conveying a sense of profound knowledge and divine connection. Yet, in Simmonds's time, it also represents the cultivated image of the industrial and commercial elites. This symbol evolves, becomes intertwined with notions of respectability and economic power, and then reappears across time. Such shifting meanings reveal the non-linear progression of symbols, a cyclical return, influencing the viewer on a subconscious level. The image engages us with the powerful forces of history, empire, and the emotional resonance of symbols passed down through generations.