Johann Baptist Schorer c. 17th century

Curator: This is Matthäus Küsel’s portrait of Johann Baptist Schorer, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: I’m struck by the texture—the way the engraver meticulously rendered the fabrics, almost tactile, conveying a sense of opulence and, perhaps, the sitter's societal position. Curator: Indeed. Küsel’s technique highlights the importance of the printing process itself. The labor involved in creating these fine lines speaks to the value placed on representation and dissemination of images within a specific social sphere. Editor: It definitely speaks to the power dynamics of the time. We see the sitter’s hand casually placed, almost possessively, upon the object. What does that say about how power and status were presented through portraiture? Curator: It underscores the material conditions that made such presentations possible: patronage, skill, and the infrastructure to circulate these images widely. Editor: A powerful glimpse into the layers of history embedded in a single image. Curator: Absolutely, a reminder that even in portraiture, there is always material and production at play.