Portret van Antoine Étienne Renaud Augustin Serres 1818 - 1832

This is Charles Aimé Forestier's rendering of Antoine Étienne Renaud Augustin Serres, captured with delicate strokes. Serres, a figure of science, is depicted wearing a double-breasted coat, a style that speaks of civic duty, reminiscent of the attire favored during the French Revolution, symbolizing reason and order. Consider the buttoned coat, a motif echoing through epochs, from the practical tunics of Roman senators to the somber suits of Enlightenment thinkers. This act of fastening oneself into a garment is not merely utilitarian; it is a binding, a commitment. This sartorial choice, charged with societal expectations, is passed through generations, subtly shifting in meaning but always present. It is a conscious harnessing of primal instinct, a mastery over chaos. This image is more than a mere depiction; it is a cultural artifact, inviting us to trace the cyclical currents of history through the symbols we inherit.