Portret van Petrus Broes 1817

Curator: Here we have “Portret van Petrus Broes,” an engraving dating back to 1817, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. The engraver was Daniël (I) Veelwaard. Editor: It's… surprisingly charming! There's a solemnity, sure, but something about the precision of the lines makes me think of meticulous dedication. What's interesting is the baroque sensibility; those luscious curls really give it a cheeky flair. Curator: Well, that baroque touch you mention points towards certain printing traditions, and to the importance placed on the individual even within, let's say, the more regulated world of the church, evident in the man's portrait. Editor: Absolutely. Look at the inscription – “TE AMSTELDAM BY J.R. POSTER, in de Beursstraat in No. 17.” This isn’t just art; it’s commerce. It speaks volumes about the culture surrounding portraiture at the time, an accessible art form. Curator: Indeed. The act of producing engravings and their distribution relied on a whole network of makers, publishers and consumers. Looking at paper itself, you know it represents forests being transformed, labor being employed. It is interesting, that these types of images were made using the labour and raw resources derived from across society at large. Editor: Thinking about labor, one can imagine Veelwaard bent over his tools, each tiny stroke a conscious act. This portrait isn't just capturing a likeness; it’s translating the tangible to the intangible. The image will decay on paper eventually and become more and more abstract. I suppose there's an artistic rendering of truth here as well. Curator: And how the print also circulated and was used: given as a sign of affiliation, traded, consumed, eventually disposed of, materially changing from one state to another. Editor: I think I'll remember the contrast of fine detail within such a mass-produced format the most from now on. A lasting impression after all this time! Curator: Yes, thinking through that production to consumption arc opens this work to multiple histories and considerations.