Silhouetportret van Isaac Prins 1809 - 1848

This is Pieter Barbiers' silhouette portrait of Isaac Prins. Without a date, it is difficult to say with certainty when it was made, but it probably coincides with Barbiers' period of activity, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. This small silhouette offers a glimpse into the visual culture of the Dutch middle class, whose members often commissioned these types of portraits as markers of status. Isaac Prins’s clean-cut silhouette represents the sitter in profile, his status as an educated man denoted by his smart jacket and clerical collar. The precision of the cut and the sharp lines exemplify the artistic conventions of the time, where portraiture was increasingly concerned with realist depictions. Silhouettes, like photography which would soon emerge, democratized image-making. In its stark simplicity, this work captures both the individuality of Isaac Prins and the broader social values of his time, asking us to reflect on how we create and perceive identity through images.