Marie de Coninck 1748 - 1831

Curator: This is a print depicting Marie de Coninck, by J.F. Clemens, residing here at the SMK. Its creation dates somewhere between 1748 and 1831. Editor: An engraving! Its compact scale—perhaps meant for a bookplate or intimate viewing—renders a soft, almost dreamy impression despite the formality of the portrait itself. Curator: It captures a sense of the Rococo era, with its ornate details and emphasis on elegance, particularly visible in her frilled bonnet. We often see oval frames used like this to signal virtue and high society. Editor: I’m struck by the subtle play of light and shadow across her face. Notice how the engraver uses hatching and cross-hatching to sculpt form and create a sense of volume. The texture achieved is remarkably lifelike. Curator: And it speaks volumes about how the elite wished to be seen—composed and refined. While her expression is gentle, it also holds a certain gravity, indicative of her status, further reinforced by the expensive lace and jewellery. These material signs communicate an ingrained position in the societal order. Editor: It’s a careful negotiation between conveying personality and adhering to the conventions of portraiture in the Rococo style. Consider the subtle asymmetry—the slight tilt of her head, the almost imperceptible variation in the sizes of her eyes. Curator: Right, these minor imperfections make the representation feel somehow authentic despite the trappings of idealized portraiture. She has aged in her lifetime, no doubt experiencing much in her seventy plus years, but the piece seeks to memorialize her for an imagined eternity. It makes you think about mortality. Editor: The economy of line in this work is beautiful. The artist says so much with so little. A really compelling image. Curator: An intriguing piece that offers a window into the past, the symbols, and lives that were, or how they wished to be perceived.