Portret van de predikant Johannes Hermanus Manné 1719

Curator: Oh, he looks like a serious sort! Stern, even. Almost… Shakespearean, though much later. It has a distinct Baroque flair, and, dare I say, an energy—what's your take? Editor: Well, it certainly strikes me as a piece deeply rooted in its materiality. This is a 1719 engraving, a print to be exact, titled *Portret van de predikant Johannes Hermanus Manné,* created by Gilbert Schoute. Imagine the labor, the precise movements needed to carve those lines into the metal plate. And what about the availability and consumption of paper at this moment in time, not just art historical trends? Curator: True, the act of printing itself holds significance. But the subject also evokes feeling. Manné—this preacher seems incredibly self-assured. I picture him delivering booming sermons, his words carefully etched into the minds of his parishioners. Note his hand gestures: he’s got the bible open to share it but also extends an open hand to the viewer. What do you read from that pose? Editor: Absolutely, and those printed words are just as physical! The combination of text and image reinforces Manné’s authority as a Lutheran minister, creating an artifact meant for widespread distribution, literally and figuratively. So many layers in the process from drawing and incising to the act of printing. Consider the economic side, was this just for friends and family, or made for profit and consumption to be sold for the benefit of his family. It makes one wonder. Curator: He has these big round white collars... the print catches his features well! One thinks of the countless prints, distributed in homes or pamphlets, that have helped influence political will and movements in general across time and cultures... so here’s Manné, etched forever! He does, certainly, live up to what society and culture deemed a 'good' minister looked like, right? Editor: Precisely! Each impression served a social purpose, disseminating a particular vision of religious authority and social order that's embodied in Manne! Thinking of the artist too - what are Schoute's influences for such fine detail in the folds of the fabrics... Curator: Right, one tiny, and quite reproducible artifact that can speak to us centuries later… Remarkable, isn't it? Editor: Indeed. An artifact holding worlds within its layered means of making.