Reproductie van een gravure van een portret van Jan-Baptist Barbé door Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert before 1877

Joseph Maes created this reproduction of a portrait engraving of Jan-Baptist Barbé using an etching technique. Note the subject’s hand placed deliberately across his chest, a gesture pregnant with meaning. Throughout history, placing a hand on the chest has been a signifier of sincerity, a heartfelt pledge of loyalty and truth. Think of Roman orators, their arms raised, but then consider this hand, resting quietly. It recalls the tradition of oath-taking, a physical manifestation of one's inner vows, but here it whispers of an internalized promise. This motif is not static; it transforms. It has echoed through time, resurfacing during moments of profound introspection. Like an ancient, powerful symbol it reminds us of the weight of our own unspoken commitments, resonating within our collective memory, evolving, ever-present.