Portret van Gerard Hoet 1768 - 1792

This is Aert Schouman's rendering of Gerard Hoet, captured in etching. The bewigged figure is a potent symbol of the 18th-century enlightenment, a representation of social status and intellectual engagement with the world. Wigs, since their emergence in the 17th century, became an indispensable accoutrement across Europe. They signal a departure from the natural, an embrace of artifice, and a shared visual language among the elite. We can observe their reappearance through history, such as in the powdered wigs of the French aristocracy, each iteration signifying its epoch. The wig carries echoes of theatrical traditions, where costume and artifice blend to convey emotion. The wig becomes more than a fashion statement; it is a mask, a tool to project authority. It is a testament to humanity’s enduring need to perform and transform, to project our aspirations onto the external world. How does this elaborate fashion statement stir our collective memory and connect us through time?