Portret van een vrouw met een halssieraad c. 1860 - 1900

This is H. Bulens Jr.'s 'Portret van een vrouw met een halssieraad', a small photographic print. The woman’s gaze is direct, yet her expression is reserved, framed by the dark fabric and ornate lace of her dress. Consider the brooch she wears—a seemingly simple ornament. We find variations of such adornments across centuries: from ancient fibulae, used to fasten garments in classical times, to the jeweled emblems of Renaissance nobility. Each iteration signifies status, belonging, and personal identity. The brooch, beyond its practical function, becomes a vessel of memory. Think of the mourning jewelry popular in the Victorian era, embedding locks of hair or miniature portraits of the deceased. This impulse—to hold dear a tangible piece of a loved one—speaks to our primal urge to defy the ephemerality of life. Our subconscious understanding of such motifs engages a part of ourselves. These items act as a touchstone, not only to personal histories but to the collective, often unspoken narratives we all share. Like a river, such symbols flow and evolve.