Portret van Johan Philips van Gebsattel, vorstbisschop van Bamberg 1602

Editor: This is "Portrait of Johan Philips van Gebsattel, Prince-Bishop of Bamberg," created around 1602 by Dominicus Custos. It’s a detailed engraving, currently at the Rijksmuseum. I'm struck by the formality of the piece; it's so elaborate and feels very much of its time. What jumps out at you when you look at this print? Curator: It throws me back to a world obsessed with lineage and authority, doesn't it? But beyond the powdered wigs and posed expressions, there’s an interesting push and pull between religious power and worldly ambition happening. Note the cherubs and eagles flanking the bishop; heavenly innocence juxtaposed with Roman imperial power. What do you make of that motto inscribed below his portrait? Editor: Ah, “Domine, nolo vivere, nisi tecum moriar” – "Lord, I do not wish to live, unless I die with thee." So, it's a devotional statement. Is it genuine, though? Seems almost performative in this context. Curator: That's the golden question, isn't it? Is it a deeply felt sentiment, or savvy PR? Perhaps it’s both. Power always needs a good narrative, a way to legitimize itself. The Baroque era understood the theatrical nature of power better than most. Even in this medium of engraving, we see such intricate detail, which, in my imagination, only deepens the many complex layers that Johan Philips must have lived. It does make you wonder, doesn't it? Editor: Definitely. I initially saw it as just a formal portrait, but now I'm considering it as a crafted image designed to project very specific messages. Thank you; this has been more interesting than expected. Curator: And thank you. Now *I'm* pondering the delicate dance between image and reality – the heart of all portraiture, really. It is about remembering who we were, or, maybe more interestingly, who we wanted to be!