Silhouetportret van Christiaan Krabbe 1809 - 1848

Pieter Barbiers IV made this silhouette portrait of Christiaan Krabbe from cut paper, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. Now, what is most interesting here is that the artist has chosen to work with a material associated with popular and decorative arts, not necessarily high art. The artist has captured the essence of his sitter with just a few well-placed snips of the scissors. The stark contrast between the black paper and the white background creates a dramatic effect, emphasizing the contours of Krabbe's face and hair. You might even say, the portrait becomes more about the surface than the person. Silhouette portraits like this one were quite popular in the 1800s, offering a quick and affordable way to capture someone's likeness. The method was often favored by the working and middle classes, who could not afford to commission a painted portrait. It is precisely through the material, and its association with a certain level of society, that the artwork finds meaning.