Portrait of Albertus Seba 1731 - 1780

Jacob Houbraken's portrait of Albertus Seba captures the essence of the 18th-century scientific mind. Seba, a pharmacist, is surrounded by his collection, a cabinet of curiosities that reflects a world still ripe for discovery. Note the recurring motif of the open book. It symbolizes not just knowledge, but the transmission of it, a concept that stretches back to the ancient Library of Alexandria and forward to our own digital age. The specimens—shells, insects—are held in a hand gesture that recalls the presentation of sacred objects in religious art. The act of collecting mirrors a deep human impulse to impose order on chaos, an impulse evident in the earliest forms of art and myth. This quest for order, though, is forever challenged by the unpredictable forces of nature, a tension that continues to resonate in our collective psyche, prompting us to explore and classify the world around us. Seba's collection, then, is not just a scientific endeavor but a profound expression of humanity’s enduring quest for understanding.