Tegel met voorstelling van een Romeinse buste c. 1675 - 1725

This is a tile depicting a Roman bust, crafted anonymously, and now held at the Rijksmuseum. At its heart lies the bust, an echo of Roman imperial authority and power, framed in a cartouche surrounded by foliage. The foliage motif is a constant in art history, reminding us of nature's enduring presence. We see it in ancient Roman friezes, medieval tapestries, and even in the flowing lines of Art Nouveau. The Roman bust, a symbol of authority and idealized virtue, resurfaces across the ages, adapted to new cultural needs. The Renaissance rediscovered it, and the Enlightenment embraced it as a symbol of reason and order. Each era imbues it with its own set of values, demonstrating art's enduring capacity to reflect our shared cultural memory and evolving worldview. This tile brings the classical past into a domestic setting. It serves as a subconscious reminder of the values and ideals we have inherited from antiquity.