Laughing Man in a Gorget 1625 - 1640

Jan Georg van Vliet etched this intriguing "Laughing Man in a Gorget." The gorget, a piece of armor protecting the throat, speaks of military readiness and status. Yet, this man laughs, his expression one we can find echoed through time, from the theatrical grins of ancient Roman comedy masks to the boisterous laughter captured in Dutch Golden Age tavern scenes. This kind of expression is a manifestation of the human spirit, a potent symbol of resilience. Laughter, after all, has always been a complex, multifaceted reaction. In some contexts, laughter can mock, deride, even threaten; think of the grotesque grimaces in medieval gargoyles, meant to ward off evil. I am reminded of the "risus sardonicus," a rigid smile often seen in depictions of suffering. Van Vliet's laughing man invites us to reflect on how human expression, like a migrating symbol, shifts and morphs across epochs.