Portret van Louis Jacques Thénard 1818 - 1832

Here is the sound recording: This is Charles Aimé Forestier’s portrait of Louis Jacques Thénard. The subject’s decorated coat is heavy with symbols of civic duty and status. The laurel leaves embroidered into the coat’s collar have ancient roots as symbols of triumph and immortal status. Consider how laurel wreaths crowned Roman emperors and were bestowed upon victorious athletes in ancient Greece. This act was not just ceremonial, it elevated mortals to near-divine status. The persistent reappearance of the laurel—from ancient busts to modern emblems—reveals a deep-seated human impulse to honor greatness. The motif has retained its prestige, becoming more secular. Here, in the modern context, they point to Thénard's achievements in science and academia, evoking a sense of aspiration, legacy, and the enduring human quest for recognition and remembrance.