Portret van Johann Wilhelm Poemer 1729 - 1754

Editor: So, this is "Portret van Johann Wilhelm Poemer," an engraving by Georg Martin Preissler, dating from around 1729 to 1754. It has a very official feel to it, what with the curtain, the wig, and all those papers. It seems a rather formal, even grandiose depiction of a public figure. What catches your eye? Curator: Oh, it's the *knowing* in those eyes, isn't it? All the rest is pomp—necessary to be sure, performance demanded by the era—but that *look*. He's not just *wearing* the role; he's calculating, pondering, aware of more than he lets on. That slight upward turn of the lips… Do you get a sense of veiled amusement, maybe even a hint of mischief? Editor: Mischief? That’s not what I got at all! I thought he just seemed… important. Maybe even a little intimidating with all the trappings of office. Curator: Intimidation can be a performance, too. And sometimes, the most powerful know that a dash of wit can be sharper than any blade. See the placement of the hands—the offered document balanced with the *pointer* to a choice he wants someone to take! And an etching only lets us get the gist! Is this Johann as judge, statesman, or shrewd dealer, perhaps all three? Is the Baroque just a kind of stagecraft? Editor: I never considered the theatrical side of Baroque portraiture. The "props," I suppose you could call them, really tell a story about status. I learned a lot just looking with a more questioning eye! Curator: Absolutely! Remember, the artist invites us to wonder as much as he offers answers. And isn’t it wonderful when a picture teases you that way?