Portret van beeldhouwer Anne Seymour Damer 1791

Luigi Schiavonetti made this print of Anne Seymour Damer using etching and stipple techniques. Damer, known for her sculptures, is depicted with careful detail, especially in her elaborate hair and ruffled collar. The ruffled collar, a symbol of status and fashion in the late 18th century, is reminiscent of the elaborate neckwear seen in earlier portraits of European nobility. Consider the ruffs in Renaissance portraits; symbols of opulence that visually framed the face as the center of power and intellect. In Damer’s era, this detail softened, yet it still signified refinement and societal position. The rendering of Damer’s likeness through stippling softens her appearance and conveys a sense of approachability, yet its echo of past grandeur retains the essence of cultural memory, subtly reinforcing the notion of inherited legacy. The face is not just a face, but a canvas where history and personal identity meet.