Portret van G. Ognibeni 1856 - 1891

This engraving by Johannes van der Kellen portrays G. Ognibeni with striking formality. The sitter’s tailored coat, neatly tied cravat, and composed demeanor speak of bourgeois values during the industrial era. Consider how the buttoned coat, a symbol of order, reappears throughout history. Its presence in Renaissance portraits conveys status and control, echoing similar garments in ancient Roman sculptures, signs of authority and civic duty. Over time, these symbols have shifted. Where a Roman emperor's toga conveyed imperial power, by the 19th century, the coat became a symbol of middle-class respectability, a demonstration of discipline. The face itself—the eyes, gazing directly at us—invites psychological consideration. There is a power in this confrontation, stirring something deep within us. This act of seeing and being seen transcends time, linking us to ancestral patterns of recognition. This image reminds us that symbols are never static, but rather cycle through time, acquiring new layers of meaning with each passing era.