Buste van keizer Hadrianus 1646 - 1670

This engraving by Hubert Quellinus presents a bust of Emperor Hadrianus. The laurel wreath is absent, yet his carefully sculpted beard symbolizes his embrace of Hellenic culture. This emblem of wisdom and maturity, adopted by Hadrian, harkens back to the philosophers and leaders of ancient Greece, a conscious revival and adaptation of classical ideals. Consider, for a moment, the enduring power of the beard as a signifier. From the statues of Zeus to depictions of early Christian saints, facial hair has been used to convey authority, divinity, and age-old wisdom. In a cyclical fashion, Hadrian's adoption of the beard represents a conscious attempt to connect himself with a past age, a phenomenon we see recurring throughout history. The clean, idealized lines of the bust evoke a sense of order, control, and the heavy weight of cultural memory, reminding us of the ceaseless dance between tradition and innovation.