Houdingen van mannenhoofden en manieren om een hoed te dragen 1704

Curator: This work, currently held at the Rijksmuseum, is entitled "Houdingen van mannenhoofden en manieren om een hoed te dragen"—"Attitudes of men's heads and ways of wearing a hat." It's a drawing done in 1704 by Bernard Picart, using pen and ink. Editor: Oh, I'm immediately struck by the wigs! So much hair, and the hats perched precariously on top. There's something almost comical about it, but elegant at the same time. Curator: Absolutely. You know, these aren't just idle doodles. These head studies would have been used for a variety of purposes, everything from preparatory drawings for larger paintings to model books, providing examples for other artists or even for craftsmen designing clothing. Editor: So, it’s partly about codifying a certain masculine ideal, right? The elaborate wigs, the tilted hats – all signifiers of status and power. And who gets to participate in that performance? The obvious hierarchies implicit in the male gaze are on full display here. Curator: I find it interesting that Picart's rendering really elevates something seemingly simple—hat-wearing—to the realm of high art. It asks us to consider how even the most mundane aspects of dress can be loaded with meaning. I mean, each slight adjustment to the tilt of a hat conveys a specific message, a mood, a persona. Editor: Indeed. Look how the hairstyles themselves frame and sometimes almost consume the faces. The faces become secondary, almost like afterthoughts. It calls to question whether these portraits are really about the individual or rather about prescribed displays of masculinity within the confines of the 18th century elite. It makes me consider access and agency then, and the many contemporary implications of social restrictions today. Curator: Yes. The subtle nuances Picart captures speak to the larger theatricality of court life at the time, and how much of identity was curated through carefully chosen accessories and mannerisms. Editor: It really speaks to the enduring human fascination with identity. Picart gives us such intimate detail that really prompts us to think of gender as both deeply individual, and highly policed. Curator: A delightful little study of human identity—how fascinating! Editor: Provocative thoughts, even after all this time!