Portret van Joseph graaf van Murray de Melgum 1787

This is an engraving of Joseph Count Murray de Melgum by Antoine Alexandre Joseph Cardon. Observe the oval frame, a Renaissance echo, within which the Count is enclosed, a visual metaphor for status and containment. Note the symbols below the portrait. The heraldic crest, flanked by figures, speaks of lineage, power, and divine sanction. The figures resemble caryatids, architectural supports in the form of female figures, evoking classical ideals of order. But consider their historical journey: From Greek temples to emblazoned crests, these motifs shift, yet retain echoes of their past grandeur. Consider the serpent, too. Here, it's part of the noble coat of arms. But the serpent, that ancient symbol of transformation and renewal, appears in countless mythologies – the ouroboros, consuming its tail. The image’s power lies not just in what we see, but in the collective memory, these symbols trigger.