Portret van Louise de Lorraine Possibly 1576 - 1741

This engraving portrays Louise de Lorraine, immortalized by Thomas de Leu. Encircling her likeness, the pearls speak volumes. Beyond mere adornment, they echo a much older symbolic language. Consider how pearls have journeyed through art history, from ancient Greece to Renaissance paintings, often linked to purity, tears, and the moon's reflective light. Remember Botticelli’s Venus, emerging from a giant scallop shell, draped in pearls, a scene teeming with classical allusions to love and beauty. The pearl's luster, birthed from darkness within the oyster, mirrors the human psyche. It reflects our capacity to transform suffering into beauty, engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. This isn’t just a string of jewels, but a tangible manifestation of historical memory and emotional depth, revealing how symbols evolve, resurface, and accrue new meanings across epochs.