Portret van Johann Gottfried Seume 1775 - 1840

Editor: This is an engraving of Johann Gottfried Seume, a portrait made between 1775 and 1840 by Ernst Ludwig Riepenhausen. The starkness of the lines and the subject's serious expression give it a very formal feeling, like an official document. What do you see in this portrait? Curator: What I see is a kind of beautiful tension, that push-and-pull between the precision of the engraving technique and the humanity of the subject. He seems almost reluctant to be pinned down to the page like this, don’t you think? The formal trappings – that rather extravagant fur collar, the neoclassical precision – attempt to capture and contain him, but those eyes… there's a world of restless thought brewing there, isn't there? Editor: I hadn’t considered that the collar might be about trapping him; I was mostly wondering if it itches! Curator: Well, art is often about surfaces concealing depths. Riepenhausen was working in an age of revolution and upheaval, trying to apply classical ideals of order to a world increasingly resisting them. Perhaps this portrait unconsciously captures that struggle. What do you make of the subtle details, like the cross-hatching used to create tone? Editor: It’s interesting how such fine lines can create so much depth. You know, seeing it this way makes me think less about “official documents” and more about capturing a fleeting moment of thought. Curator: Exactly! It’s as if the artist is trying to catch smoke with a net, to freeze a dynamic human being into a static image. I think, in its own way, this piece beautifully acknowledges the futility – and the enduring power – of that task. Editor: I’m definitely going to look at portraiture differently now. Thanks for sharing your perspective!