Portret van Caesar, duc de Choiseul 1652 - 1656

This engraving portrays César de Choiseul, and the symbols woven into it reveal a tapestry of power and lineage. Below the Duke, we see his coat of arms, a visual shorthand denoting family history and status. Crests like these are not merely decorative; they're carefully constructed narratives, echoing through generations. Think of the eagle in Roman imperial imagery or the fleur-de-lis of French royalty – symbols that recur, each time imbued with evolving significance. Consider how the visual language of heraldry, with its recurring motifs, mirrors the recurring patterns in our collective memory. The symbols shift, adapt, and sometimes invert, yet they remain tethered to a primal need for recognition. It’s a psychological phenomenon, a subconscious drive to connect with something larger than ourselves. This image is a clear example of how visual symbols endure, constantly reshaped by the currents of history and the depths of our shared human experience.