Portret van Gerard Johan Nahuys 1749 - 1781

Curator: Let's turn our attention to a print dating between 1749 and 1781, currently held in the Rijksmuseum. It's entitled "Portret van Gerard Johan Nahuys," created by Johann Elias Haid. Editor: Immediately, the oval frame, that gaze...it feels so formal, so very “old world." Is it just me, or is there a slight, almost ironic smile playing on his lips? Curator: Well, portraiture during this period was very much about conveying status, particularly among the academic and clerical elite. As an engraving, the piece meticulously details Nahuys’ features. He was, according to the inscription below, a professor of theology and history. It gives you some idea of how tightly interwoven religious and secular thought was at that time. Editor: The wig is pretty fab. A statement piece! Though, it makes me wonder about identity. To what extent does the external – the wig, the clothes, the posture – shape the perception of the man beneath? I bet the feel of those tight curls and that heavy robe could make a fella rethink how he presented to the world. Curator: It’s a performance, exactly. Nahuys is deliberately fashioning an image of intellectual gravitas, reinforcing his authority and position within a hierarchical society. The portrait is academic, Baroque, it uses the symbolic language to reinforce prevailing power structures of the era. Editor: Looking closely, I'm intrigued by the shadow around his eyes, hints of... something beyond just pure intellect. Perhaps a touch of weariness or pensiveness, the artist captures that so subtly. Curator: Right, it reminds us that even within these staged displays of authority, there remains a human subject. To view the art from the time we can study, if not challenge the structures of power, gender, race and so much more! Editor: So, what appears at first glance to be simply another stuffy portrait actually opens up these doors, doesn’t it? The silent man is almost beckoning you to unpack this idea behind image of legacy. I see it completely differently now!