Portret van Pieter Brueghel de Jonge 1861

This is Johannes van der Kellen’s portrait of Pieter Brueghel the Younger, created in 1881, using etching. The portrait, rendered in delicate lines, captures Brueghel with a contemplative gaze. The texture of his beard and the intricate ruff around his neck are meticulously detailed, reflecting the artist's skill in capturing texture. The background is minimal. The linear precision used to construct the image provides insight into the structuralist concept of representation. Van der Kellen doesn't merely copy; he reconstructs an image of Brueghel through a network of lines. This technique invites us to consider the portrait as a system of signs. The arrangement of lines is a code which signifies Brueghel. The portrait prompts us to question how meaning is constructed through visual systems.