Portret van een onbekende man, mogelijk de heer Jorissen Possibly 1851 - 1857

Editor: Here we have a drawing entitled "Portret van een onbekende man, mogelijk de heer Jorissen," made with graphite sometime between 1851 and 1857, attributed to Johann Peter Berghaus. I'm struck by how detailed the clothing is compared to the rather plain face of the sitter. What do you make of this portrait? Curator: For me, the interest lies precisely in those material contrasts. Notice how Berghaus renders the jacket with painstaking detail – the weave, the buttons, the fall of the fabric – a celebration of textile production and perhaps even consumer culture emerging at that time. While the face remains rather generic, almost a template. Editor: So you are saying it’s less about the individual and more about what he represents? Curator: Exactly! The labor invested in producing the sitter’s clothing speaks volumes about societal values and the emerging middle class. Look closely at how the graphite is applied, mimicking the texture and weight of cloth. What does this suggest about the role of the artist as a skilled craftsman, rather than solely a genius? Editor: That's a good point, and the drawing looks almost like a lithograph, blurring the line between handmade and mechanically reproduced images. Curator: Precisely! Think about the role of portraiture in this period. Was it merely about capturing likeness, or was it also a display of status, achievable through carefully crafted garments? The book he holds becomes another prop, a signifier of literacy and social standing, produced and consumed. Editor: It's amazing how much a simple portrait can reveal when you focus on the materials and context surrounding its creation. Curator: Indeed. Shifting our focus from the individual to the means of production unlocks fascinating insights into the values embedded within even the seemingly straightforward artwork. It also invites us to question what aspects of labour were valued or made visible in such art.