Rev. John Farrer n.d.

This is a wood engraving of Rev. John Farrer by Thomas Bewick. Note the stark silhouette encircled in the oval frame, a form harkening back to ancient cameos and classical portraiture. The clerical attire is meticulously detailed, each line contributing to the texture and form. Consider the silhouette itself. In ancient Egypt, the shadow portrait captured the essence of an individual. Through the Renaissance, the profile portrait emerged as a popular way to represent an individual's likeness, offering a view of status and intellect. Over time, this imagery continues to reappear. Think of Lotte Reiniger's silhouette animation films, where shadow puppets evoke emotions and narratives. Here, the silhouette strips away extraneous details, focusing on the subject's outline. We are left with a figure defined by its stark, unwavering form. This image resonates with memory, a collective unconscious of symbolic forms persisting through time.