Børge Riisbrigh 1798

Editor: This is Børge Riisbrigh, a print created by J.F. Clemens in 1798. It's an etching, and the detail is just incredible! I get a really strong sense of formality from it. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Formality is a perfect starting point! The piece resonates with the cool detachment often associated with Neoclassicism, right? But look closer, there's an intriguing contrast at play here. The rigid lines of the frame and the subject's buttoned-up attire fight against, for me anyway, a deeply vulnerable gaze. It’s almost as if we’re catching a glimpse behind a carefully constructed public persona. Makes you wonder, what was *he* really like? What anxieties lurked beneath that powdered wig? Editor: That's so interesting. I hadn’t considered the vulnerability aspect, but now that you mention it, there is a certain sadness in his eyes. The wig and clothing are so elaborate, almost comical now, and yet the humanity in his eyes speaks across time. How do you think this image would have been viewed back then? Curator: That's a juicy question! Given the Neoclassical influences swirling about at the time, one could assume that a sense of stoic, heroic dignity was valued, maybe even expected. Then again, realism also figures into the brew. Clemens certainly had a way with this etching technique, creating shadows around the man’s mouth that almost feel mischievous. One can't help but imagine some folks in the 18th century giggling at this man with the silly hairdo. So yes, times may have changed, but our basic responses to portraiture--recognition, judgement, connection-- likely remain fairly constant. What do *you* think, now that you've given him the once over again? Editor: It’s amazing how much more I see after our conversation. Initially, it was just another portrait, but now, thanks to you, it feels so much more intimate and complex! It’s like the print itself held secrets that it needed coaxing to give up.