Zelfportret met brede neus Possibly 1750 - 1808

Curator: So, here we have an etching from between 1750 and 1808, entitled "Self-Portrait with Broad Nose". It is part of the collection at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Oh! A rough, unfinished energy to it, almost frenetic, yet the eyes are soft... soulful. Definitely a piece I'd want to spend some time with. Curator: It's quite small, which is characteristic of prints. But, there is the symbolic weight of a self-portrait. The mirror reflecting back to the artist is as old as time. Do you find the medium impacts how the sitter is portrayed? Editor: It lends an immediacy to it. The etched lines almost feel like thoughts caught on the copper plate. I'm drawn to the intensity of the face despite its seeming sketchiness. Look at that wild hair. A symbol, perhaps, of unbridled creative force, but equally of non-conformity? Curator: Or perhaps the casualness of everyday existence made eternal? This type of rendering has an echo through so many centuries... this etching creates an image that continues to appear and reappear. Editor: But there is such personality captured in the likeness, too! Consider how the work doesn't romanticize itself. It has its imperfections and idiosyncrasies. And so its frankness renders this image timeless and enduring, perhaps paradoxically more relatable than highly-rendered works. Curator: Indeed! Through figuration it brings to light memory and place that transcend any individual and epoch! This print serves as a timeless testament to both skill and vision! Editor: So true! It leaves me eager to chase this feeling again somewhere! Let's find the next piece!