Portret van Herman van Loo 1774

Jacob Houbraken produced this engraving of Hermannus van Loo around 1774, capturing the reverend's likeness with a stark realism characteristic of the era. Dominating the composition is the severe black robe contrasted against the stark white clerical collar. The color contrast is not just a matter of aesthetics. Consider the color black through the ages; from the robes of monks in the dark ages, symbolizing solemnity and penance, to its adoption by the Protestant clergy as a sign of humility and moral austerity. This echoes in paintings of other ministers and reformers from centuries past, a visual lineage connecting Van Loo to a tradition stretching back through time. This isn't merely about religious garments; it speaks to a deep-seated psychological association with authority and reverence, and it's through the reappearance and the shifting of meaning across centuries that symbols speak to us.