Leunende man met hoed 1805 - 1844

Curator: Right, let’s talk about this striking print here in the Rijksmuseum collection. It’s entitled “Leunende man met hoed,” or “Leaning Man with Hat," attributed to Ignace-Joseph de Claussin, likely dating somewhere between 1805 and 1844. Editor: My first thought? He looks utterly nonchalant. There's something about the way he’s propped himself up, almost like he's eavesdropping on our conversation through time! Curator: I'm glad you picked up on that! As a baroque-inspired portrait executed as an etching, Claussin really captured a theatrical stillness here. What do you notice about his form and presentation? Editor: Well, structurally, the sharp contrast is gripping; how the dark hat with the feathered plume commands attention. And then the details are incredibly compelling for an etching! His clothes suggest a playful opulence, the cape falling elegantly. It lends the figure depth. Is this someone from a play, or real? Curator: It teeters, doesn't it? Considering baroque sensibilities and how dress was used as symbolism and artifice, one is constantly wondering if one is getting at someone genuine or staged. The etching work adds a further veil: he becomes real and unreal at once. Editor: Right, so what might be interesting is that his pose and his garments are at odds! His laid-back position doesn't seem to agree with such a serious getup! You’ve really gotta wonder if he really wants to be perceived or blend in. The expression does add to that playful dance; you can see both. What really carries it through is how effortlessly his hand rests - which, technically is one of the highlights as its lines guide your eye to the center composition again and again. Curator: I think that contrast is everything here. It really does speak to how the artist and his influences had different intentions when representing people; maybe capturing real personalities as well as ideal types wasn’t as developed at that time as we expect today, or perhaps a portrait's ultimate end as a symbol, in all its artifice, still stood. Editor: What a fun conversation to imagine this dude having, almost! In reality, he looks too relaxed! In his representation, however, the intention isn't relaxed at all. I'm looking forward to really figuring him out later. Curator: Agreed, and who knows, perhaps over time he changes, this work, morphing as we keep digging deeper in!