Promotie met de kap, bij gelegenheid van het Tweede Eeuwfeest van de Leidse Hogeschool, 1775 1775

This print, made by Reinier Vinkeles in 1775, commemorates the bicentennial of Leiden University. The central act is the conferral of a doctoral hood, a potent symbol of academic achievement. Hooding is a ritual, echoing ancient investiture ceremonies, where garments denoted status and authority. Think of a king’s coronation robe, or a bishop’s mitre, each a signifier of power. The doctoral hood, in this context, represents the culmination of years of study, a visible sign of intellectual mastery. This motif of formal investiture resurfaces across cultures and eras. The act of bestowing a garment links the individual to a lineage of knowledge, a chain stretching back through history. Subconsciously, we recognize this connection to tradition, this moment of transformation, triggering a deep sense of respect and recognition for intellectual authority. Each time this symbol reappears, it reinforces the enduring human quest for knowledge.