Man met een baard c. 1576 - 1624

Editor: This is "Man met een baard," or "Man with a beard," a striking engraving by Francesco Villamena, dating back to the late 16th or early 17th century. There's such a weight to it, don’t you think? That beard looks so tactile! How do you approach something like this? Curator: Oh, I love him. There's such quiet dignity radiating from this man. To me, the appeal lies in the textures that Villamena coaxes from a simple engraving. Just *look* at the rendering of the beard; the individual strands almost feel real, don't they? What's particularly delicious, though, is thinking about what this portrait leaves unsaid. Editor: What do you mean? Curator: Well, prints like this were often used as a kind of calling card. This could have been traded amongst intellectuals or artists. What stories do you think he carried with him, what were his thoughts on the turbulent world unfolding around him? The image feels almost monastic in its simplicity, doesn't it? But is that the entire story? Or is it just the story he wants us to see? What are your thoughts? Editor: I see what you mean, the lack of context is definitely intriguing! You have no clue who he is, really... It could be anyone. It is an ordinary portrait, and that also makes it, paradoxically, extraordinary. Thank you. Curator: Indeed. Art can become an act of pure imagination, a looking glass into endless possibilities. Thanks for helping me look!