Portret van Karel Lodewijk Johan, landvoogd der zuidelijke Nederlanden 1769 - 1842

Editor: This is a portrait of Karel Lodewijk Johan, Governor of the Southern Netherlands. It's an engraving, created between 1769 and 1842, by Johann Carl Schleich. I’m struck by the formality and rigidness of the subject. It feels very distant, almost like a historical document rather than a personal image. What do you see in it? Curator: Distance, yes! But perhaps not from coldness. It speaks more to me of calculated authority and carefully curated image-making. This wasn’t just any likeness; it was a performance of power etched into copper. Look at the oval frame – it sets him apart, enshrines him almost, like a saint in a reliquary, don't you think? Do you get a sense of movement or drama at all, despite the sitter's fixed stare? Editor: I can see the 'reliquary' effect now, but drama? Not so much. Curator: Think about the lines themselves. Aren't they practically vibrating with intensity, those tightly packed hatch marks building volume and texture? The shading and cross-hatching give life to what could easily be a static, one-dimensional representation. How can we be unmoved by the detail worked on the crosses or the hair? There is an intentionality at work in the whole printing press. It feels revolutionary. Editor: Oh, that's a great point. Now I see more life in those details you're pointing out. Curator: Exactly! Each mark contributes, giving him gravitas while remaining true to the sitter’s, likely severe, presence. And to consider how those marks can translate through time as if the sitter spoke to us through them. We were fools for focusing on the coldness. It wasn’t frigidity, but reserved authority. Editor: Definitely changes how I'll view portraits moving forward! Thanks!