Portret van Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès c. 1792 - 1808

Editor: Here we have "Portret van Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès," an engraving from around 1792-1808, by Lambertus Antonius Claessens. I find its rather stoic, and almost a severe likeness within its oval frame. What strikes you when you look at this piece? Curator: It reminds me of a cameo, that sort of Neoclassical restraint… although perhaps 'restraint' isn't the right word. It's a study in calculated power, isn’t it? Sieyès, the man himself, was all about revolution from within the system. Editor: Revolution from within? Curator: Absolutely! Sieyès was one of the key minds behind the French Revolution, though he wasn’t always on the barricades. Look at that profile – sharp, almost birdlike. It projects intellect, someone who prefers to be in the back, manipulating and planning rather than acting out. The engraving’s precision is telling as well – every line carefully placed. Do you think that contributes to the sense of him as controlled, and controlling? Editor: Definitely, it almost feels like he’s been meticulously planned as an image, a persona carefully presented to the world. Was Claessens, the engraver, making a statement here, do you think? Curator: Hard to say for sure, but the very act of creating a portrait is always an act of interpretation. Sieyès clearly understood the power of image and symbolism during that turbulent period. Think of this engraving, not just as a portrait, but as propaganda of sorts! Editor: Propaganda…I’d never thought of it that way. Thanks for sharing your insights, I see much more now. Curator: My pleasure! It is quite astonishing to see an engraving that seems to project photography! It is quite deceiving really...