Portret van J.B. van Lack 1787

This is J.F. De La Rue's portrait of J.B. van Lack, an engraving made without a specified date. Consider the subject’s gesture: his fingers lightly touching his chest. This gesture, appearing across epochs, speaks to the profound human need for self-affirmation. We see echoes of it in classical oratory, in which the speaker touches their chest to signal sincerity. Through centuries, this instinctive act has carried forward, a testament to our evolving yet persistent emotional landscape. Its adoption by Van Lack underscores his self-perception as a man of integrity, a gesture imbued with psychological weight. The non-linear progression of such symbols is fascinating. Rooted perhaps in ancient rituals of self-validation, it resurfaces in portraiture to signify qualities of honor. This cyclical journey across history, from antiquity to the age of enlightenment, shows the intriguing continuity of human expression.