Regents of the Aalmoezeniersweeshuis Orphanage in Amsterdam, 1729 1729

Cornelis Troost painted ‘Regents of the Aalmoezeniersweeshuis’ in 1729, a group portrait of orphanage governors in Amsterdam. The men are gathered around a table, a symbol of their shared responsibility, but more than that, their faces and clothing suggest an air of authority and control. Consider the table as a sacred space. The display and power projected by the men recall the Last Supper. Think about the ways these symbols of power, especially around tables, have evolved: from royal courts to boardrooms. The table becomes a stage where dramas of decision-making, exclusion, and patronage play out. Each figure displays varying degrees of formality and detachment. A gesture here, a glance there. These gestures stir in us subconscious responses tied to our own experiences of authority, sparking a feeling of reverence or perhaps unease. This image is a mirror, reflecting the endless cycle of power dynamics. Remember that in these compositions, history is constantly being rewritten, as motifs reappear, transformed yet still echoing through time.