Portret van Mungo Park 1799

Johann Friedrich Bolt created this portrait of Mungo Park, an explorer, using an engraving technique. At first glance, the oval composition is neatly contained, almost frozen. However, look closer, and note the subtle gradations of light and shadow. They activate the smooth surface, lending Park's face a captivating dynamism. The engraver's delicate lines capture not just a likeness but also the texture of Park's hair and the folds of his coat, bringing a tactile quality to the image. The sharp lines and smooth surface, typical of engraving, contrast with the soft, almost dreamlike quality of the portrait itself. This duality between precision and ethereality prompts us to consider the semiotics of portraiture at the time, and how Park wanted to be seen. The structural elements, such as the neat oval shape, serve to isolate Park, framing him as an object of contemplation. Bolt’s engraving invites us to consider the intersection of form and representation, and to recognize that art is always a field of interpretation.