Staande cavalier, naar rechts c. 1730 - 1774

Antoon Overlaet etched this image of a standing cavalier in the 18th century. Dominating the figure is his large, feathered hat and fur-trimmed coat, symbols of status and wealth. Such displays of opulence hearken back to earlier Renaissance portraits of courtiers, but here, there’s a theatrical exaggeration, a Baroque flamboyance. Consider the feathered hat: Throughout history, feathers have signified power, virility, and a connection to the divine. Think of ancient Egyptian headdresses or Renaissance courtly fashion. Here, the cavalier's hat is not just an accessory but a proclamation. It swells almost like a peacock’s plumage, a visual echo of the animalistic and instinctive drives within us. This resonates with the collective memory of human striving for recognition. The cavalier strides confidently, yet the etching’s lines reveal a certain precariousness. The swagger might be a mask, a defense against the anxieties of status and mortality. The past is never truly gone; it resurfaces in new guises, each symbol carrying layers of history and emotion.