Jean Fourmenois 1590

Gortzius Geldorp painted this portrait of Jean Fourmenois with oil on panel in the late 16th or early 17th century. The most striking element is the large, pleated ruff collar. In its time, the ruff was a symbol of wealth and status, requiring significant resources to produce and maintain. The ruff's evolution is fascinating. Originating as a modest frill, it gradually expanded, becoming an extravagant statement. Consider the starched, almost architectural forms they adopted, echoing the rigid social structures of the era. One can't help but see parallels in other cultures, such as the elaborate neckwear of ancient Egyptian royalty. Like the ruff, these adornments served as visual markers of power. The collective memory embedded in these symbols speaks to a deep-seated human desire to assert dominance and prestige through adornment. These symbols persist, transformed but still resonant, in contemporary fashion and social rituals, demonstrating the cyclical progression of cultural motifs.