Portret van Hugo Donellus 1609

Willem van Swanenburg created this engraving of Hugo Donellus. The ruff collar encircling Donellus's neck is a prominent symbol of status and formality during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. This elaborate frill, initially modest, grew into a wide, stiffened circle, a sartorial statement echoed in portraits across Europe. Think of the Spanish court, where such collars denoted prestige, or Shakespearean England, where they adorned the necks of the elite. Yet, the ruff’s restrictive nature also speaks to the constraints of societal expectations. It’s a visual paradox: a symbol of freedom and status that simultaneously imprisons the wearer within its rigid confines. Consider how this symbol has resurfaced in various forms, from the exaggerated collars of Renaissance nobility to modern high fashion, each time carrying echoes of its past, yet adapted to new cultural landscapes. Each era infuses it with new life, proving that images never truly die; they merely transform.