Portret van Joost van den Vondel 1612 - 1665

Editor: This is a print of Joost van den Vondel, dating sometime between 1612 and 1665 by Cornelis van Dalen I. It’s housed here at the Rijksmuseum. The lines of the engraving give it a slightly somber, almost intellectual feel. What do you make of it? Curator: Ah, Vondel! Looking at this portrait, I’m struck by the almost unsettling gaze. It’s intensely direct. It's a portrait striving for realism, of course, but there’s something else going on, wouldn’t you agree? A certain drama, maybe? Van Dalen was working in a world steeped in the drama of the Baroque. Think of those stagey Rembrandts. Does it make you wonder what thoughts are swirling behind those knowing eyes? Editor: It does make me wonder, actually. I was focused on the texture, especially on his cloak, but the eyes do grab your attention. Do you think the artist was trying to convey something specific about Vondel's personality? Curator: Undoubtedly. Consider the era. This wasn’t just about capturing a likeness. Portraits were carefully constructed narratives. Look at the detail, and ask yourself how would you describe what this image invokes? Does it communicate a sense of authority? The curl of the hair, the way the light catches… even his folded hands…all speak to the image he's projecting to the world. Perhaps something about how appearances often mask hidden complexity? Editor: Definitely authority, but with maybe a hint of…melancholy? It makes you question the subject’s feelings, or perhaps he simply endured some difficult times, that were immortalized. Curator: Exactly! Art, at its best, asks us to delve into that wonderful in-between space of uncertainty. The world is just not a perfect black and white space. This print of Vondel, really embodies that ethos. I found myself moved by the power that is found when capturing that middle point between reality and artistic expression. Editor: That makes total sense. I’ll never look at a Baroque portrait the same way again. Thanks!