Portret van Frances Villiers 1774

This is Thomas Watson’s portrait of Frances Villiers, created in 1777 using the mezzotint technique. The symbolism of the circle is immediately striking. It frames Frances, offering protection. The circle is one of the oldest symbols known to mankind, appearing in the stone circles of ancient cultures. It stands for wholeness, unity, and the infinite. Think of Plato’s perfect forms, or Jung’s mandalas. Circles, too, are portals. We find them in Byzantine icons and Renaissance paintings. They speak to us of time as cyclical, not linear, a concept the ancients understood well. When we gaze at Frances through this circle, we are reminded that the past is never truly dead; it is always present, resurfacing in unexpected ways. Her serene expression, framed by the circle, evokes a sense of timelessness, an invitation to reflect on the enduring power of symbols across time and space.