Portret van Hendrik Casimir II, graaf van Nassau-Dietz 1675 - 1699

Editor: Here we have a drawing, "Portret van Hendrik Casimir II, graaf van Nassau-Dietz", made sometime between 1675 and 1699 by Petrus Aeneae. The texture is surprisingly detailed for a drawing, especially the armor. But, wow, what a wig! I can't help but wonder, what kind of statement is being made here? Curator: Well, if that isn't the perfect powdered mountain atop his head! You know, I'm struck by how portraiture of this era attempts to balance the public and private selves. See how the formal elements – the armor, the crisp detail, that prodigious wig – shout power and status, announcing Casimir's position. Yet, there's a certain softness in the gaze, almost a vulnerability, wouldn't you say? It whispers of the human being beneath all that regalia. It’s almost as if Aeneae is winking at us across the centuries. Editor: Yes! I see that softness now, it’s there in the eyes. Does that say something about the sitter or maybe how the artist perceived him? Curator: Good question. Consider the time period – late 17th century. It was an era of tremendous social and political upheaval and dramatic theatricality in art and fashion, as you can obviously see. Aeneae, as a portraitist, would have been acutely aware of his role in constructing a particular image of Casimir for posterity but was probably equally beholden to reflect a contemporary fashion and an acceptable, almost standardized look for the time. Perhaps the softness, then, is less about capturing some inner truth, and more about humanizing an otherwise unapproachable figure within the conventions of Baroque portraiture? A tiny crumb of relatability offered to the masses? Editor: That's fascinating, framing it in terms of constructing an image. It almost feels like PR from the 1600s! I never would have considered that contrast between public image and private self without you pointing it out. Curator: Art, isn't it wonderful? Always something new to find, or something old to rediscover.