Medaillons met portretten van Pericles, Fabius Maximus, Alcibiades en Coriolanus 1789 - 1809

Editor: This is an engraving entitled "Medaillons met portretten van Pericles, Fabius Maximus, Alcibiades en Coriolanus" by Reinier Vinkeles, dating from 1789 to 1809. It feels... well, really serious. Stiff upper lip, the whole bit. What jumps out at you when you look at this work? Curator: Immediately, I'm struck by the weight of history, but also by its staged, almost theatrical presentation. These aren't just portraits, are they? They are performances of power, carefully crafted and arranged like characters on a stage. The severity you noted speaks to the era's reverence for classical ideals. What if we considered that, by creating it as an engraving rather than sculpture, Vinkeles could disseminate classic ideals wider? Editor: So, it's about influence and distribution, not just representation. The portraits are strikingly similar in style, almost like mass-produced imagery despite depicting very different figures. Does that lessen their individual impact? Curator: It does present a paradox, doesn’t it? Individuality is subdued to elevate overarching principles of leadership. Look closer at the background. How does that Doric-inspired backdrop alter your perception of those ideals? Editor: Now that I’m looking at it, it feels like these medallions could be on a Roman ruin in the 18th century... a way to frame these ideals in this period. Curator: Precisely! It invites viewers to situate themselves within a lineage of greatness. This work makes me consider how societies invent the past they want, the heroic narratives they feel they need. This artwork also reminds me that we can examine what our artistic legacies truly convey. Editor: That’s so true, it also highlights what is absent from the heroic narrative. Thank you, that gave me a new way of seeing this!