Portret van Hendrik Jawarina 1883 - 1884

Curator: Here we have Friedrich Carel Hisgen’s “Portret van Hendrik Jawarina,” dating from around 1883-1884. This photogravure is currently held in the Rijksmuseum’s collection. What strikes you upon first glance? Editor: A quiet solemnity. The profile pose and subdued tonality create a feeling of stillness, a contained breath before speech. There is also a slight off-centering of the subject matter which may hint to underlying psychological imbalance. Curator: The profile format certainly offers a specific type of objectivity. Hisgen's focus is less on individuality, per se, and more on capturing, through realist representation, a so-called "type" or specimen. It embodies 19th century tendencies to categorize humans. The clean lines, precise rendering of light and shadow contribute to an impression of scientific precision, albeit a problematic one. Editor: Precisely! It's eerie. Like a Victorian entomologist pinning a butterfly, beautifully yet cruelly capturing something, freezing it outside of its natural context. There's a palpable distance despite the photographic realism. The direct, almost clinical illumination strips away warmth, leaving us to observe but not necessarily empathize. Curator: Indeed. Consider the gaze directed not at the viewer, but eternally toward some unseen point beyond the frame. It simultaneously reveals and withholds something of the subject's inner life. And, photograph as print, there is another filter or mediation involved. Editor: And those shadows emphasizing the features. I sense both vulnerability and an indomitable spirit refusing to be fully captured. It is haunting but also powerful. The title makes me question who was Hisgen? And Jawarina? Curator: That question remains, in many ways, a critical and unresolved one surrounding pieces such as this one from Hisgen. Editor: It gives me pause; so many echoes resonating beyond its surface.