Aletta Pancras (1649-1707) Wife of François de Vicq 1670

Painted by Gerard ter Borch II, this portrait captures Aletta Pancras in a black dress, standing beside a table draped with fabric. Note the pearls adorning Aletta's neck, symbols of purity and status, they echo the way pearls were seen in Renaissance paintings as allegories of virtue. Consider how this motif has traveled through time. In Botticelli’s "Birth of Venus," pearls emerge from the sea, symbols of Venus's divine beauty. Yet, here, in 17th-century Holland, the pearls speak less of divinity and more of worldly standing, reflecting the shifting values of a rising merchant class. The restrained palette and subdued emotion evoke a sense of introspection. The pearls, while beautiful, also carry a weight, a memory of traditions and expectations. This portrait is a powerful expression of the silent dialogues between past and present. This illustrates how symbols are perpetually evolving and how they are destined to reappear in different contexts.