Portrait of Marcus Zuërius van Boxhorn, Historian and Professor at Leiden 1700 - 1732

Arnoud van Halen painted this oval portrait of Marcus Zuërius van Boxhorn. The golden frame with laurel leaves is heavy with symbolism. In ancient Greece, laurel wreaths were awarded to victors as symbols of triumph, later evolving to signify scholarly and cultural achievement, fitting for a historian. This motif echoes through the ages. Consider the Roman emperors depicted with laurel wreaths, emblems of military and political success, or even its adoption during the Renaissance to crown poets and artists. The laurel’s repeated use underlines humanity's continuous striving for excellence and recognition. Interestingly, though these wreaths and crowns represent power and authority, one can find the inverse of this idea in images of suffering. The image remains, the meaning shifts and changes. The subconscious attraction to this image carries forward.