Portret van de remonstrantse predikant Gerard Brand de Jonge 1683 - 1724

Curator: Up next, we have a rather captivating portrait of Gerard Brand de Jonge, a Remonstrant preacher, made sometime between 1683 and 1724. Christoffel Lubienitzki is credited with this engraving. What do you see in his gaze? Editor: Hmm, what strikes me first is this tension between serenity and… melancholy, perhaps? He's framed so formally, but his eyes hint at a depth of feeling, maybe even some quiet suffering. It is the Dutch Golden age, yes, but he feels as if from a totally different spiritual world! Curator: That melancholic air might stem from Brand’s Remonstrant beliefs. The Remonstrants faced persecution in the 17th century for questioning strict Calvinist doctrines, as reflected in some of his written works, "Kort Verhael Van Remonstrantia," as a kind of personal manifesto. Perhaps Lubienitzki captured something of that struggle in the sitter's expression, this beautiful symbol-filled frame for what must have been an unsettled life. Editor: And the frame itself, almost like an oculus... a window to the soul, wouldn't you say? He is encased, named, memorialized. Also, his garments have a curious simplicity. This all has a distinct symbolic flavor; even those little buttons have a feeling like a sacred arrangement! Are we sure it is a simple memorial? There’s almost something quietly radical about it all. Curator: Indeed. Lubienitzki clearly understood how to embed layers of meaning within a seemingly straightforward portrait. The contrast in texture and depth is striking – from the intricate details of the face to the starkness of the clerical collar. It does feel, at times, closer to a carefully constructed icon than a simple memorial portrait. Editor: Precisely. Every detail, the way his hair falls, the cut of his coat... all seem meticulously considered. Almost a meditation of shape and light with political tension as an engine! Curator: I’d agree. There’s a power in the quiet intensity captured by Lubienitzki. The simple elegance contains a far deeper truth than initial glances may suggest. Editor: Absolutely. It invites a much closer inspection into a time of great tension. An icon it is; an emblem, too.