Portret van Franz Volkmar Reinhard 1809

Curator: Here we have Karl Traugott Riedel’s "Portret van Franz Volkmar Reinhard," created in 1809. What’s your first impression? Editor: Austere. I immediately notice the medium; it’s clearly a print, meticulously etched, likely on paper. The level of detail is captivating; you can practically feel the texture of the paper. It exudes an old-world seriousness, don't you think? Curator: I feel that gravity too. Knowing it was made with ink, likely through engraving, adds to that. The cross-hatching is incredibly precise; you see how Riedel uses that to model the planes of Reinhard’s face? It gives him a presence, an almost sculptural quality despite being a drawing. It really embodies the neoclassical artistic sentiment. Editor: Absolutely. And it reflects a particular kind of labor, too. Think of the craftsman, meticulously carving the image onto a plate. What inks were used, what kind of paper? These details reveal a network of artisans contributing to this piece—from the paper maker to the printer. The layers of production are fascinating. Curator: That's a brilliant perspective. I wonder if Reinhard himself ever considered all the hands that were involved in immortalizing him. His gaze is so focused. Almost severe. Did he think about how many lives would engage with his portrait in years to come, especially the lives of those contributing to the portrait-making? I imagine not. He was concerned about the cut of his jacket, of course! Editor: Probably! But considering the materiality highlights the economics of image-making, and the labor embedded within what we often see as individual artistic genius. I see Riedel working with the paper and ink of his era as much as of the man himself! Curator: A lovely tension, the man against the materiality and maker of the media. I can stare at it for ages. It breathes. Editor: Precisely! An exploration that prompts questions of social status, access to materials, and the circulation of images in the early 19th century.