Portret van Jasper Schade van Westrum 1894

This is Joseph Dujardin's portrait of Jasper Schade van Westrum, created as an etching, and it captures the likeness of a man of apparent status. The portrait allows us to reflect on the dynamics of class and representation in art. The subject's attire and the artist's skilled rendering speak to a certain level of societal privilege. During this time period, portraiture was a domain largely reserved for the wealthy, and served to reinforce existing social hierarchies. Dujardin's work becomes a historical marker, reminding us of the exclusivity and power dynamics inherent in artistic representation. The image's very existence poses questions about access, visibility, and the stories that get told and preserved. It is a reminder that our understanding of the past is often shaped by whose stories were deemed worthy of representation. The act of viewing, then, requires a critical awareness of both what is shown and what remains unseen.