Portret van de predikant Paulus Steenwinkel 1682 - 1770

This is an undated portrait of the preacher Paulus Steenwinkel, made by an anonymous artist. Notice Steenwinkel's elaborate wig and simple white collar, symbols of his status and profession during his time. The wig, a marker of status and intellectualism during the 17th and 18th centuries, finds its roots in earlier displays of power, like royal headdresses. Yet here, it’s paired with the somber clerical collar, a gesture back to the simple, unadorned vestments of early religious figures. This juxtaposition embodies a tension—between worldly status and spiritual humility. We see this tension mirrored throughout history, from the bejeweled scepters of medieval bishops to the present-day debates about displays of wealth among religious leaders. This emblem, like all symbols, is not fixed but cyclically reappears, continuously shaped by cultural forces.