Portret van een man met baard 1764

Editor: So, here we have "Portrait of a Man with a Beard" from 1764, a print, an engraving really, by Francesco Bartolozzi. The subject seems lost in thought… maybe a bit melancholic? What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: That gaze! Doesn’t it feel like he’s seen a ghost, or maybe just a really long Tuesday? And the hatching, all those little lines...like whispers capturing light and shadow. You can almost feel the texture of his beard. This is Bartolozzi channeling, for me, some serious Baroque drama, but contained within this tight, almost scientific approach to engraving. Almost philosophical, isn't it? What do you make of the background? Editor: I notice it, but it seems simple compared to the face... it doesn't draw attention, it is just sort of suggestive, a hazy mist almost... Why would he focus so much on the detail of the face and seemingly neglect the space around him? Curator: I would not call it neglect... What I see is a painterly background to emphasize the play of light upon the form, reminiscent of paintings but also so completely the artist's expression. Editor: Ah, that makes sense! Highlighting, not neglecting. It changes my perception. Curator: Exactly! It is always useful to look with your heart, and your eyes both. Sometimes even from the corner of your eyes... Well, maybe not! Thanks for walking with me through this philosophical baroque fellow, it always does my heart good!