Zittende vrouw in een met bont afgezette jas c. 1840 - 1843

Sybrand Altmann created this sketch of a seated woman in a fur-trimmed jacket. Here, the fur trim is a potent symbol. Historically, fur has signified status and warmth, but also something deeper. Think of the animalistic nature it represents, a primal connection to the wild. Fur trim appears throughout art history, from royal robes in medieval paintings to the bourgeois fashion in portraits of the Dutch Golden Age. When we see fur, it stirs something within us—a whisper of ancient hunts, of survival and dominance. It is a psychological anchor, reminding us of our own complex relationship with the natural world. The emotional power of the image lies in this duality: comfort and status versus a wilder, untamed essence. This cyclical progression of symbols, of the animal made garment, speaks to our subconscious.