Curatorial notes
This engraving portrays Jan van Berry, and despite its anonymous authorship, we can see the symbolic weight it carries. Notice the Duke's open palm, a gesture laden with meaning across time. The open hand is an invitation—but to what? Consider its presence in ancient Roman oratory, where it signified honesty and openness. Yet, here, combined with the symbols of aristocracy and power, does it not also imply a bestowal of favor, a dispensing of authority? We see it echoed in Renaissance paintings of monarchs, and even in modern political posters, each time subtly shifting, yet rooted in a primal expression of intent. The image speaks to our collective memory, a silent language understood through the ages, as this symbol resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings in different historical contexts.
