Portret van Johann Kaspar Lavater 1768 - 1817

Editor: Here we have Johann Heinrich Lips' "Portret van Johann Kaspar Lavater," created sometime between 1768 and 1817. It's an engraving, so a print. I'm immediately struck by its formality, that very clean neoclassical style. What leaps out at you when you look at it? Curator: Ah, yes, Lavater! That profile cuts deep, doesn't it? Almost like a cameo. But more than just a pretty picture, this image, to me, speaks of obsession. Lips immortalized Lavater, the theologian, but perhaps more famously, the physiognomist. Editor: Physiognomist? Curator: Indeed! Lavater believed you could read a person's character from their face, a concept popular then and controversial now. Do you see how Lips emphasizes the sharp angles of Lavater's nose and brow? What could that signify, do you think, in Lavater's own terms? Editor: Hmm, intelligence? Maybe a critical nature? It’s interesting to think Lips might be subtly commenting on Lavater’s theories, through the very act of portraying him. Curator: Precisely! Or perhaps indulging them. Lips was a master engraver, and I imagine he found it quite interesting, if not amusing, to capture Lavater’s essence, adhering to this "science". Editor: It really makes you think about the relationship between artist and subject, and how beliefs shape perception. It also has me considering my own biases when I view art! Curator: Isn’t it wonderful when a little image sparks such big thoughts? Next time you meet someone, resist the urge to judge by appearances...or, embrace the temptation, and blame Lavater and Lips!