Giovanni Boccaccio c. 17th century

Curator: This is Cornelis van Dalen the Younger's portrait of Giovanni Boccaccio. The young artist, who lived from 1638 to 1664, captured the likeness of the famed Italian author. Editor: Something about the subtle lighting and the weight of that fur stole give the portrait a wonderfully melancholic feel. Curator: Melancholy is a good word. Books, especially those bound with cords, often stand for wisdom, but sometimes for the burden of knowledge. The subject's expression certainly carries the weight of both. Editor: Yes, the book becomes almost a memento mori. And Boccaccio's gaze, directed just past the viewer, pulls us into his pensive world. Curator: I agree. The imagery almost invites us to contemplate not just Boccaccio, but the passage of time and its effect on memory and legacy. Editor: I’ll walk away pondering just that, feeling a little wiser, and a little more aware of time’s fleeting nature.