Brustbild eines Geistlichen mit Perücke im Profil nach links 

This is a portrait of a clergyman with a wig in profile to the left, made by Benjamin Calau. Observe the clergyman's wig. It signifies status, but it also obscures the individual, creating a mask. Wigs appear throughout history, from ancient Egypt to 18th-century Europe, each time serving as a symbol of power and artifice. Think of the elaborate hairstyles of the French court—veritable sculptures of status. But what is hidden beneath? The baldness, the mortality, the all-too-human vulnerability. The wig is a theatrical device, much like the masks used in ancient Greek drama, worn to project an image, to embody a role. It reveals a societal need to project an image, to conform, to perform. This tension between appearance and reality engages us on a deep, subconscious level. This symbol of the wig has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.