Portret van Michael Gerhard Feyga op 53-jarige leeftijd 1758

Editor: Here we have Johann Christian Gottfried Fritzsch's "Portret van Michael Gerhard Feyga op 53-jarige leeftijd," an engraving from 1758, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. I'm struck by the formality, especially that large ruff. What symbols do you see operating in this piece? Curator: Indeed, the ruff itself is potent. It immediately signals status and adherence to a certain code. Note also the subject's direct gaze and subtle hand gesture, as if in benediction. Does it evoke a specific historical memory? Editor: Well, the clerical collar and his severe gaze does make me think of the weight of religious authority at that time, maybe the expectation of unwavering faith. Curator: Precisely. And the trappings of office. Notice, the book – perhaps a bible or liturgical text – he lightly holds. These weren’t casual garments or possessions. How might we consider the relationship between personal identity and imposed symbolic order? Editor: That’s interesting to think about, this man presenting himself through carefully chosen, even regulated, signs. I guess, the wig, the book… everything says something specific. Curator: Consider how consistent visual vocabularies helped to stabilize social hierarchies, reinforce beliefs and ideals. Could we say he is acting a role? Editor: Definitely seems performative, like every element is there to create a very particular impression of a learned, pious man. Curator: So, what lasting impression did these repeated emblems leave on the collective memory of power and authority, of religion itself? And is it fair to interpret a performance or representation as truth? Editor: It's fascinating to consider how even an engraving like this holds so much symbolic weight and, ultimately, shapes perceptions that ripple through time. I will look at portraits much more closely going forward! Curator: Agreed, seeing portraiture this way illuminates much more than one might first imagine!