Siméon Joseph Barbot de Lardeinne c. 17th century

Curator: This is Pieter van Schuppen's portrait of Siméon Joseph Barbot de Lardeinne. Editor: The overwhelming wig certainly speaks of status, but it also feels like a mask, concealing rather than revealing. Curator: Consider the process of printmaking itself. It's about disseminating images, creating multiples. This portrait, then, becomes a tool for projecting power and identity far beyond the individual. Editor: The oval frame, adorned with foliage, feels like a symbolic enclosure—a world built around the sitter's significance. The coat of arms below reinforces this. Curator: Van Schuppen would have relied on skilled artisans to produce these prints, highlighting a complex system of labor behind its creation. The paper itself, its quality, speaks to the intended audience and their capacity to consume such images. Editor: Ultimately, though, it is a study in visual rhetoric. The symbols, the composition, all contribute to the sitter's intended persona. Curator: Exactly, and the deliberate choice of printmaking as a medium extends that intended persona beyond the elite. Editor: A fascinating convergence of craft and symbolism.