Portret van Hendrick Laurensz. Spieghel 1708 - 1780

Jacob Houbraken etched this portrait of Hendrick Laurensz. Spieghel, capturing the man in an oval frame, a symbolic window into his persona. Spieghel’s attire, particularly the ruff collar, speaks of his status, yet it also echoes motifs from earlier eras. Consider the ruff, a circle framing the face, not unlike the halos in religious art. These forms reappear across cultures—a constant return to symbols of reverence and authority. This seemingly simple collar connects Spieghel to a lineage of leaders and thinkers, each epoch reimagining symbols of power. The very act of framing a face, whether in a Renaissance portrait or an ancient bust, speaks to our enduring need to immortalize and understand the human spirit. The face, after all, is the mirror of the soul. It is a powerful force, engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. And so, the image of Spieghel—framed, collared, and gazing—becomes another iteration in the cyclical journey of symbols, resurfacing, evolving, and acquiring new meanings across the vast theater of history.