Portret van Ericus Fredericus Alberti 1770

This engraving portrays Ericus Fridericus Alberti, by Jacob Houbraken. Observe his open hand—a gesture reaching across centuries. This motif of the open hand, an ancient symbol of rhetoric and persuasion, appears in classical oratory, repurposed in this 18th-century portrait to suggest Alberti's intellectual generosity. In antiquity, a similar gesture might have signified offering or supplication. Think of Roman emperors depicted mid-speech or biblical figures bestowing blessings. The gesture evolves. The echo of these archetypes resonates in Alberti's pose, a demonstration of learnedness, and the power of words that transcends mere portraiture. This evolution reflects our collective memory, and the symbolic language of communication.