Portret van Filips van Komen 1825 - 1842

This portrait of Filips van Komen was made by Nicolas Maurin, a 19th-century artist. Notice the heraldic symbols adorning his cloak. These are not mere decorations but powerful emblems of family lineage, status, and historical narrative. Consider the motif of the apple. In classical antiquity, the apple was linked to Aphrodite and associated with love and beauty, but also discord, as seen in the myth of the Golden Apple that ignited the Trojan War. Through the medieval period and into the Renaissance, the apple appears in religious contexts, symbolizing temptation and the fall of man, yet it also represents knowledge and choice. In this portrait, the apples’ presence adds layers of meaning to the portrayal of van Komen, intertwining personal identity with broader cultural and historical narratives. This is more than just a representation; it is a continuous dialogue across centuries.