Portret van Jeronimo de Bosch Kemper 1850

Benoit Taurel rendered this ink drawing of Jeronimo de Bosch Kemper sometime in the first half of the 19th century. It’s a spare portrait of a man in profile, a member of the bourgeoisie, bespectacled and buttoned-up. Taurel was working in a period when portraiture was increasingly democratized. While portraits had previously been the domain of the aristocracy, artists now sought to capture the likenesses of those from a burgeoning middle class. We must consider the role of the bourgeoisie in the Dutch cultural and political landscape and how the demand for portraiture reflected aspirations to solidify their status and leave a legacy. Consider what it meant to be seen and to be remembered during this period of social transformation. The artist emphasizes the sitter's access to the modern technologies of seeing through the prominent eyeglasses. In that light, ask yourself what the drawing suggests about the sitter's identity and place in society.