Portret van Claudius Ptolemeaus 1549 - 1584

Editor: This engraving, "Portret van Claudius Ptolemeaus," dates from 1549 to 1584 and is by an anonymous artist. It feels very formal and historical. What stories do you think this portrait is trying to tell? Curator: This image offers us an opportunity to unpack the power dynamics inherent in portraiture and knowledge production during the Renaissance. Ptolemy, here depicted as a wise, bearded scholar, represents a figure canonized by European intellectuals. Consider the social context: Who had access to Ptolemy's writings, and how did that influence their worldview? This engraving not only immortalizes him, but also perpetuates the authority he embodies. What do we make of his gaze and demeanor, and what social meanings might they convey? Editor: So, it's not just a likeness but a statement about authority and access to knowledge. It’s interesting to think about who got to decide which historical figures were important enough to be remembered this way. Curator: Precisely. Think about who is absent. Whose voices were actively suppressed to build Ptolemy's status? How can we understand Ptolemy's influence, which spanned fields from geography to astronomy, in light of its colonial and capitalist exploitation of resources? Editor: That shifts the perspective quite a bit. I guess it's a reminder that even seemingly straightforward images like this are entangled in much bigger social and historical currents. Curator: Indeed. Every artwork invites us to examine the politics of representation and knowledge and invites reflection about cultural narratives in their time and ours. Editor: I’ll definitely remember that when I look at other portraits, thinking about whose story is being told, and at whose expense.