Friesvormig ornament met medaillon van kop van een vrouw 1780

This ornamental frieze with a medallion of a woman's head was created by Johannes van Dregt, during a time when Europe's aristocratic societies were losing their grip on power. The detailed pen drawing encapsulates the decorative arts that flourished amid political and social change. The subject, an elite woman framed by classical ornamentation, speaks to the values of the period, a focus on beauty and status. We should ask ourselves, what does it mean to immortalize a woman in such a way? What power dynamics are at play when only certain faces are preserved in art? Van Dregt's work invites us to reflect on how societies immortalize figures of power and privilege. The drawing prompts questions about who gets remembered and how art can serve as a tool for both preservation and potential critique of cultural values. It's a looking glass into a world undergoing transformation.