Portret van Karel van Lotharingen 1745

Curator: Here we have Jean Daullé’s "Portret van Karel van Lotharingen," made in 1745. It’s currently part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection. It is an engraving with elements from the baroque and academic art movements. Editor: The monochrome palette immediately gives this portrait an austere quality, a kind of frozen grandeur. The oval frame focuses the eye so strongly. It's almost unsettling, that intense focus. Curator: Daullé masterfully uses the baroque style’s taste for opulence and drama to represent Charles Alexander. That heavy, elaborate mantle suggests power. His gaze meets ours with what seems like aristocratic indifference. Editor: And what a perfect application of chiaroscuro! The subtle modulation of light and shadow really shapes the features and creates a sense of depth despite the constraints of engraving. I can also note the lines giving different weights to render the different textures in the mantle and hair. Curator: Notice also the Order of the Golden Fleece. The symbols associated with the Golden Fleece and the cross itself indicate both wealth and the Catholic faith that would have played such an important part in Charles' world. In my view, the artist wants to represent both worldly authority and religious devotion. Editor: It’s almost architectural, the way Daullé sets the portrait within a kind of constructed monument, doesn't it? This layering gives a solid feel to the image that can feel like overcompensation. I suspect he wishes to associate the figure with timeless grandeur, making the personage of the portrait bigger than life. Curator: Right, because his role as Governor-General of the Austrian Netherlands placed him in a tricky spot historically, balancing imperial interests and regional sentiment. Daulle subtly crafted the image to showcase strength and unwavering conviction, and perhaps diminish uncertainty. Editor: Absolutely. Looking at the image, you can see a skillful attempt at presenting power as unwavering certainty. It’s a controlled image meant for public consumption, intended to instill respect and deference. Curator: In a single, captured image, it reveals a world in the throes of great political, economic, and social changes and the icons that sought to hold that world in balance. Editor: Precisely. By closely observing these elements, one begins to grasp its complexities and purpose. It really exemplifies that meticulous balance sought after by those movements, and one cannot avoid being affected by it.