Portret van een man met baard 1860 - 1895

This photograph by Hills & Saunders captures a man with a beard, framed within an oval, a common style of the era. But the beard is not a mere detail. It is an emblem of authority, wisdom, and virility, dating back to the philosophers of antiquity. Think of the bearded gods of ancient Greece or the wise men of the East. This symbol transcends time, appearing in various guises. The beard, like a mask of ancient lineage, reappears throughout history, each time carrying the weight of its predecessors, yet adapting to the zeitgeist. Consider how the beard, in its many forms, has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts, perpetually oscillating between tradition and innovation. It is a potent reminder of how the past is never truly gone, but rather, perpetually reborn in the present.