Portret van Friedrich Balduin op 52-jarige leeftijd 1628

Matthäus Merian's engraving portrays Friedrich Balduin, a prominent theologian, framed by symbols of his virtues and status. Above, "Fide et Patientia" underscores the importance of faith and patience, virtues vital to enduring life's trials. Note the allegorical figures flanking Balduin: these embody abstract concepts, reminiscent of classical virtues revived during the Renaissance. This act of bearing witness has a powerful emotional charge that affects us, too. In antiquity, the virtues of the good Roman citizen were seen as necessary to maintain the health of the Republic; here, these virtues become the virtues of the religious individual. Consider also the book that Balduin holds. In early Christian art, books often symbolized divine wisdom and revelation. This emblem then resurfaces through the ages and contexts. Each time it resurfaces, its meaning evolves—sometimes representing education and knowledge, other times spiritual enlightenment. Such iconography reveals a complex layering of cultural memory, a non-linear progression that continuously reshapes symbols across history.