Herman Frederik ten Kate. Schilder (1822-91) 1850 - 1890

This is a portrait of Herman Frederik ten Kate, painted by Johan Heinrich Neuman using oil on panel. Oil paint has a unique capacity for capturing light and shadow, and for rendering minute details. It is especially evident here in the subject’s face and remarkable moustache. Neuman has layered the paint in thin glazes to give depth to the skin tones. In the nineteenth century, oil paint was typically manufactured in workshops, a product of industrial capitalism. The ground pigments, linseed oil, and additives were mixed in large batches, then sold to artists. Painting a portrait like this demanded highly developed technical skills. The ability to create a likeness, to capture the sitter's personality, and to convey their social status, all required years of training and practice. The panel itself is a crafted object, prepared with gesso to create a smooth surface for painting. The painting reminds us that even in the age of mechanical reproduction, the handmade still held prestige, and that art and craft always intersect.