Portret van Antonius Schultingh c. 1850

Curator: Here we have a print, "Portret van Antonius Schultingh," created around 1850 by Leendert (I) Springer. At first glance, I’m immediately struck by its serene, almost somber tone. Editor: Somber is right! There is an element of power and privilege, communicated through the textures of the robes. I wonder about the conditions of the printing, how it was intended to be circulated? Was it intended to bolster his social standing? Curator: The portrait itself offers an interesting lens into societal hierarchies of the time. Schultingh, depicted here, certainly occupies a position of authority and it begs questions about representation and access. Who has the privilege of being memorialized? How does the artist play a role? Editor: Precisely. Looking closer, one appreciates how the medium - being a print - informs those questions about social standing. Was the printmaking process readily available or highly controlled? Its creation certainly involved multiple skilled workers. Thinking about their labor helps recontextualize Schultingh's presentation as an individualized historical moment. Curator: Indeed. Further enriching the complexity of the artwork is its harking back to the Baroque era in stylistic terms, despite being made in the mid 19th century. It's clear that in many ways, portraiture remains committed to maintaining certain artistic lineages. How do historical forces shape even visual output and art practices of future eras? Editor: True. This image has helped illustrate how even traditional prints could subtly encode narratives of labour and economic control. Curator: And the figure of Schultingh, gazing outward, as he mediates the artistic representation of those very relationships in the production of such materials. Editor: Always an excellent reminder to interrogate, layer upon layer.