Zelfportret van Rienk Jelgerhuis 1749 - 1806

This is Rienk Jelgerhuis’ self-portrait, a delicate image rendered with ink. The gaze, steady and direct, speaks volumes, but let us turn our attention to the wig, a symbol of status. Wigs, like crowns or robes, have long been a marker of authority. We can trace them back to ancient Egypt, where they signified rank. This impulse is not merely vanity, but a deep-seated psychological need to assert oneself within a social hierarchy. Think of the elaborate hairstyles of Roman emperors, or the powdered wigs of the French aristocracy. This symbol resurfaces time and again. In Jelgerhuis’ time, the wig reflected enlightenment ideals, a desire to project an image of reason and control, but it also served to conceal and transform. It’s this very tension that imbues the portrait with such potency, engaging us on a subconscious level, and bridging past and present.