Portret van Anna Maria van Schurman 1678 - 1714

Curator: This is a rather striking engraving held at the Rijksmuseum, titled "Portret van Anna Maria van Schurman." It’s considered an anonymous work, created sometime between 1678 and 1714. Editor: The stark contrast is the first thing that grabs me. The meticulous line work creates such an interesting tension against the subject's serene expression. It has a somewhat ghostly effect. Curator: The engraver's mastery is evident. Think about the time it took to achieve this level of detail with just a burin on a metal plate, line by painstaking line. And it raises questions about the original matrix, the type of paper stock, the economic conditions affecting its circulation. How would this object have been displayed? What audience did it serve? Editor: As a portrait, this piece reflects the cultural importance given to female intellectuals in the Dutch Golden Age, women who shaped salon culture, for example. It presents van Schurman as an enlightened figure; the book and background church steeple seem like symbolic devices for illustrating intellectual and religious authority. What do you make of the Latin text at the bottom? Curator: Ah, it is about female erudition, praising Schurman above other female intellectual icons such as the Roman Gracchi and depicting the "miracles of her gender". But think also of this object as merchandise – portraits such as this one disseminated authority and could accrue political and even financial power through increased popularity of the engraved and printed materials. Who benefited directly from the dissemination of van Schurman's image? The publishers? Her network? Editor: I’d agree, her portrayal goes beyond mere likeness, becoming a symbolic object of early feminist history. Curator: Precisely! Editor: Engaging with it from the perspective of how imagery shaped historical reception offers a fresh, exciting avenue to assess van Schurman's relevance even today. Curator: A fitting point, given its endurance across centuries due to its sheer artistry. The detail attained is quite remarkable, almost obsessive if you consider the handwork. Editor: Right! Seeing the details and imagining the hands that made this print, really anchors it in its time. Thank you.