Dame de Espagnole allant par la Ville 1662

This engraving, "Dame de Espagnole allant par la Ville," presents a Spanish lady strolling through town. Note the elevated ruff collar—a symbol of status and refinement in the 16th and 17th centuries. The ruff, initially a modest frill, ballooned into an extravagant statement of wealth and power. We see echoes of this impulse in earlier, simpler neck adornments and its presence in later, more theatrical forms, such as the elaborate lace collars of the Baroque period. The ruff, like many symbols, speaks to our collective desire for distinction. Consider how fashion, like art, captures and reflects our deepest social and psychological needs. This lady, adorned and elevated, reminds us that the quest for recognition and status is a timeless current that runs through the human psyche.