Portret van Johann Friedrich Starck op 50-jarige leeftijd 1730 - 1731

Curator: I am immediately drawn to the intense, almost confrontational gaze of the sitter in this portrait. There’s a weightiness to it, a seriousness emphasized by the monochromatic palette. Editor: Indeed. This is an engraving, dating from 1730-1731. The Rijksmuseum holds this print made by Christian Fritzsch, portraying Johann Friedrich Starck at 50 years old. Starck was a minister in Frankfurt. The Baroque period in which it was created certainly contributes to that feeling. Curator: The book he holds open, prominently displayed, acts as a powerful symbol, of course. It must be of great importance. The pillar in the background, while common for portraits of this era, lends the image a sense of timelessness, of grounding and established power. Editor: It seems significant, given the context, that Starck is pointing to the text within the book. This gesture is laden with symbolism; an act of instructing, of disseminating knowledge, which has enormous weight at a time when printing was only just beginning to take root. Curator: He wants us to consider the words carefully. Perhaps he authored it? I wonder what impact Starck’s position, and therefore this image of him, had on the social and religious landscape of Frankfurt at the time. These portraits helped establish status, particularly for civic figures. Editor: The very specific inscription, "Johannes Fridericus Starck, Verbi divini Minister Francofurti ad Mænum," that translates as Minister of the divine Word in Frankfurt, leaves little room for doubt about his role. His attire, complete with the ruffled collar, reinforces that image. The print likely served to propagate his image but also served as a cultural emblem of piety and scholarship. Curator: These small details build up so well, but it’s the directness of his stare, I find so commanding. A statement, even through time. Editor: And considering the weight placed on symbolic images and cultural icons such as these, Starck’s image continues to evoke that world from three centuries ago, its impact, however quiet, still palpable.