Portret van kardinaal Joseph Fesch 1830

Curator: Here we have a print from 1830 by Charles Louis Bazin titled, "Portret van kardinaal Joseph Fesch," placing it squarely within the Neoclassical movement. Editor: Oh, my goodness, what a wonderfully pompous portrait! There's a certain severity to his gaze, isn't there? But his slightly amused, you almost expect him to wink at you! Curator: Indeed. Bazin employed engraving to achieve such fine detail, highlighting the Cardinal’s garments and the medals of honour he wears so proudly. Let's not forget, prints were instrumental in circulating images and ideas at this time. They functioned as a form of propaganda in their own way. Editor: The weight of those medals, both literally and metaphorically, it feels like a visual manifestation of power. He is absolutely bathed in it, a kinglike sense, despite him just being a simple, if powerful man, of the church! Curator: It's intriguing to consider the production of prints like this, think about the socio-economic structure of 19th-century art creation and consumption and how printed images of important members of the church may impact social beliefs. It tells us a great deal about hierarchy, patronage, and labour. Editor: It’s amazing to me what tiny pencil marks are capable of conjuring in a viewer’s mind, the feel of rich fabrics, or the glimmer of metallic stars against dark robes…you know it has to make you consider your mortality. This feels like more than a simple rendering; it is something special. Curator: The convergence of artistry, labour, and power makes this print more than just a visual representation; it’s a cultural artifact that offers insights into the social fabric of the time. Editor: Yes, the world, with its endless beauty, contained in what is at its heart nothing but little scratches, that is what art can make us think about, ultimately!