Portret van David Jorisz. 1701

Curator: Romeyn de Hooghe created this engraving in 1701. The work, now at the Rijksmuseum, is entitled "Portret van David Jorisz." Editor: The density of lines in the etching creates a surprisingly robust figure; he seems sturdy and grounded despite the rather light, almost caricatured, touch. The composition leads my eye up to his face, and it seems somewhat severe. Curator: That severity aligns with the figure. David Joris was a leading Anabaptist reformer. In this print, the visual vocabulary speaks of the reformation. The dark hat and the somber clothing contrast with the light that illuminates his face. Note the presence of the city of Delft in the background. Editor: The linear technique used is interesting. Look how the lines create a play of light and shadow across his garments, which gives them an almost liquid quality. It’s baroque drama executed with clean, graphic precision. And what about his pose, what can it signify in formal terms? Curator: Joris’s life was defined by a complex navigation between public reform and hidden heterodoxy. The clasped hands and reserved gaze might symbolize contemplation, even secret knowledge, in the Anabaptist tradition, whose followers kept many hidden symbols of faith. The folds in his garments almost hide him. Editor: Indeed! I hadn't thought of it like that before; what seems baroque at first glance then transforms, reflecting social unrest during its moment, not just its stylistic trends, which is revealed in both figure and format. Curator: Exactly. Considering the cultural tensions, Hooghe's portrait encapsulates Joris’s ambiguous and secretive life as an Anabaptist leader and helps us understand the spiritual fervor that drove many reform movements. Editor: Well, examining how the linearity enhances a kind of restrained drama adds more layers to that understanding. What seemed simply a portrait has become so much more, and through this linear quality we uncover so many perspectives about one period.