Portret van Louis-Joseph Alvin, hoofdconservator van de Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België, en profil 1888

Auguste Danse made this portrait of Louis-Joseph Alvin, head conservator of the Royal Library of Belgium, using etching techniques. During the 19th century, portraiture became a tool for solidifying the identities of those in positions of power, often celebrating and perpetuating a specific kind of masculine ideal rooted in class and intellectual authority. What does it mean to be the head conservator of the Royal Library? What kind of man would be chosen? Look at the sharp profile of Alvin's face, the crispness of his suit; do these details convey a sense of the values and character traits he might have embodied? Consider the power dynamics at play. Danse, as the artist, had the ability to shape and control Alvin's image, influencing how he would be seen and remembered. But Alvin, as the subject, also had agency. As chief conservator, his own work ensured the preservation of countless cultural artifacts. This portrait asks us to reflect on the relationship between the individual, the institutions they represent, and the ways in which their identities are constructed and preserved.