Zelfportret met hoed Possibly 1908

Curator: Chris Lebeau, possibly in 1908, created this intriguing self-portrait, aptly titled "Zelfportret met hoed." The Rijksmuseum is its home today. What’s your initial take on this piece? Editor: Stark. There's a seriousness, a quiet intensity in that profile, wouldn't you say? The hat seems to cast a shadow, literally and figuratively. Curator: I agree about the intensity. And I think that mood comes from the etching technique itself. The lines, the mark-making process… it's all quite deliberate. The etching on paper is an important aspect of its social context as well, in terms of printing and distribution, and how affordable the production became with this medium. Editor: Speaking of the hat, though...it evokes exploration and a kind of steadfast spirit. He's looking off to the side but wearing glasses that create reflections; his eye, or seeing becomes obscured. How fascinatingly contradictory is that? Curator: An insightful reading! And yes, this form of reproductive technology had immense societal ramifications for portraiture, for self-representation, and access to images themselves. He probably went through a series of proofs too, tweaking the tonal values, wiping away some areas to increase the light, manipulating the burin perhaps to refine other sections. Editor: Right, the hat itself also hints at that: exploration, intellect, perhaps even a hint of adventure. Is it a signifier of societal status, though, or merely an accessory of personal expression? Curator: Both, surely. Lebeau was working within a specific social fabric and making these things says so much about him, but that’s really amplified by the choices he’s making with materials. And again with that etching on paper - the mass reproducibility becomes available through advancements in craft. Editor: So, the image itself carries a social weight, not just in its symbolism but in its very being? Curator: Precisely! It makes it widely distributed rather than a unique hand made rendering. The print multiplies both his self-representation and identity. Editor: Remarkable how materials can speak so loudly! Looking closer at Lebeau's portrait now, I see echoes of so many eras – the determined gaze from another time is quite amazing, isn't it? Curator: I agree entirely.