Portret van een oude vrouw, aangeduid als Lucie Stadenberg-Björck 1854 - 1885

This is an undated photograph of an old woman, identified as Lucie Stadenberg-Björck, by an anonymous artist. Note the delicate brooch at her chest; such ornaments were more than mere decoration. Jewellery, particularly pieces containing miniature portraits or locks of hair, served as powerful mementoes. This practice echoes the ancient Roman custom of carrying likenesses of ancestors. The portrait brooch is a direct descendent of this impulse, illustrating a deep human need to keep loved ones alive in memory. These objects are charged with an emotional and psychological weight that transcends their material value. Consider how, throughout history, humans have sought to preserve images of those passed: from Egyptian funerary masks to Renaissance portraiture. Our collective memory and subconscious connect us to these symbols, and we are reminded of the continuous cycle of life, death, and remembrance. The cyclical and continuous progression of symbols evolve and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.