Portrait of Jacoba Bicker (1640-95), wife of Pieter de Graeff 1663

Editor: This is Caspar Netscher's "Portrait of Jacoba Bicker," painted in 1663. She has a very direct gaze, and her dark clothing is contrasted by her pale skin and ornate collar. I'm intrigued by the column on the left. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The column, grounding the subject to this marble reality, acts as an emblem of status and stability, but I notice you look right past her finery. Are we missing context when our eye sees “dark clothing” because to Jacoba and her peers it spoke of a moral obligation. Do we understand the symbolic weight carried within sumptuary regulations during the Dutch Golden Age? Editor: Sumptuary regulations? So, it was about more than just wealth? Curator: Indeed. Think of color—the availability, cost, and perceived value attached. Dyes signified more than just preference, indicating societal roles, professions, or affiliations. The deep blacks that denote sobriety and steadfastness among elite classes could indicate religious piety, whereas a ruby sash suggests civic duty and familial position. What emotions do these elements evoke within us as modern viewers, divorced from this original context? Editor: I see a little anxiety and pride, maybe? She definitely seems aware of the statement she is making. Does the presence of the column reinforce that controlled image? Curator: The column, nearly in darkness, suggests classical virtues and the solid foundation on which her family's wealth is built, a steadfast emblem, anchoring her, and reminding viewers that identity is constructed through both personal characteristics and inherited status. This contrast evokes a visual narrative of carefully managed identity. Are we merely viewers or active readers deciphering Jacoba’s carefully curated symbolic self? Editor: That’s fascinating! It really changes my perspective, I was definitely just a viewer before but now I want to look into all the subtle meaning of colour and symbol!