Zelfportret van Cornelis Visscher 1651

Editor: We're looking at "Self-Portrait of Cornelis Visscher" from 1651. It's a print, an engraving to be precise. I'm really struck by how relaxed and almost cheeky he seems. I mean, look at that hat! What else do you see in this portrait? Curator: Cheeky is a good word. I feel as if he's looking at me from across the centuries, maybe thinking, "So, you think you know me, eh?" It's the immediacy that gets me, especially knowing this is an engraving, a process requiring painstaking detail. Each tiny line tells a story. Do you see how the light catches the brim of his hat? It's almost theatrical. Editor: It really is. And the detail in his hair! Is there any sense of why he chose this medium for a self-portrait? Curator: Well, prints were increasingly popular, more affordable, a way for artists to disseminate their image, literally. But Visscher was known as a printmaker above all, he specialized in the art form. It seems fitting he’d capture himself through his craft, don't you think? What is really neat, is you sense the artist in control of his own narrative. I love the slightly lopsided smile - that's what makes it feel more "true" if you ask me. It could only be this Visscher character! Editor: That makes a lot of sense, especially in an age before photography. It’s a fascinating insight into the artist himself and his world. Curator: Exactly! I'll always wonder if that smile wasn't a little wink at himself too - a touch of self-aware amusement. After all, aren't we all just walking self-portraits?