Marchesa Brigida Spinola Doria 1606

Peter Paul Rubens painted Marchesa Brigida Spinola Doria, a Genoese noblewoman, immortalising her in oil on canvas, amidst symbols of power and status. Notice the prominent ruff, an elaborate collar. It encircles her face like a halo, a visual echo of the divine collars seen in ancient Egyptian art, worn by deities and pharaohs to denote status. The ruff, though secular, carries this echo, elevating the Marchesa to a figure of near-regal importance. Consider too, the fan she holds. A simple object, yet it evokes images of Cleopatra or the Queen of Sheba. What does the fan tell us? It speaks to the human need to control one's environment. These symbols are not static; they evolve, resurface, and are imbued with new meaning. They serve as powerful reminders that images possess a life of their own.