Portret van Hanna Sophia Dicelius 1723 - 1749

Curator: Oh, isn't this a curious engraving. The Rijksmuseum holds this compelling work entitled "Portret van Hanna Sophia Dicelius." The engraver was Johann Friedrich Rosbach and the print itself is dated somewhere between 1723 and 1749. Editor: Immediately, I'm drawn to her gaze. It’s so direct, almost confrontational, yet tinged with a gentle sadness. And that baroque dress! It’s so over the top. Curator: Yes, the directness is something. Portraiture in this era often carried heavy symbolic weight. Her gaze would have been carefully considered, perhaps intended to project virtue, status, or even a hint of the sitter's personality, all according to the accepted visual language of the time. Notice the roses, perhaps indicating something like beauty, love, transience… Editor: Definitely see that symbolic piece. Roses are the go-to metaphor for that brief-but-glorious, bite-sized meaning. Still, what strikes me most is the flatness. Not just because it’s an engraving, but her affect—there’s a sense of her being just resigned. Trapped, even, between that rather severe classical pillar and that wild climbing rose. As if to say, “Well, here I am, preserved for posterity… another flower arranged on history’s mantelpiece.” Curator: That resonates with the baroque love of contrasts and visual conceits! Rosbach very carefully positioned her within these competing symbolic realms. Her dress tells one story of luxury, refinement, and accomplishment—of human cultivation, and of her individual status. Then against this are all these suggestions about natural beauty and uncontrollable decay. A reminder of life's fleeting nature—memento mori stuff, all interwoven. Editor: And what a face! Almost severe, and yet framed by this elaborate wig. It gives her this beautiful sculptural quality, like some ancient statue rescued from the earth, smoothed by time, yet somehow…unfinished. All those emotions are on pause, waiting to break out in something grand, yet everything just seems resigned to be what it is and go the route the dressmaker cut out for them. Curator: Very eloquently put! Ultimately, artworks such as these speak volumes about social expectations and about humanity's attempts to navigate time, legacy, and cultural memory through imagery. Editor: Agreed. A very intriguing piece. Gives me that lovely melancholy only art can offer sometimes.