Portret van Hayo van der Kooi c. 1851 - 1883

This is a portrait of Hayo van der Kooi by Johan Hendrik Hoffmeister, rendered in a monochrome printmaking technique of the 1800s, likely lithography or engraving. Look closely and you can appreciate the skill involved in translating a three-dimensional likeness into a two-dimensional image through the meticulous labor of mark-making. The fine lines create areas of shadow and light that bring the sitter to life. The choice of monochrome printing emphasizes the precision of the line work, which would be lost in a colorful painting. In its time, this portrait would have been part of a culture of printed images which made visual representation more widely accessible, feeding a growing demand for images that reflected the expanding middle class. The printmaking technique, while skilled, also suggests an industrialization of portraiture, a move away from unique, hand-painted artworks. Considering the materials and processes used, we can begin to understand how the social and economic context of its creation shaped this artwork.