Portret van Gras, professor aan de Académie des Beaux-Arts te Antwerpen, halffiguur 1861

This photograph by Joseph Dupont captures Gras, a professor at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Antwerp. His turned head draws us in, but it’s the neckwear – the cravat tied loosely around his neck – that captivates me. This seemingly simple knot echoes the noose, a symbol laden with primal fears and associations of mortality. Across cultures, the tied knot carries various implications: commitment, union, but also restriction and entrapment. Think of the Gordian Knot, a complex problem resolved only through decisive action. The cravat, born from military practicality, evolved into a symbol of elegance and status. Yet, lurking beneath this veneer of respectability is the archaic symbol of the binding tie, a constant reminder of our mortality. It illustrates how symbols are never static; they are fluid, adapting, and reflecting the anxieties of their time.