Portret van Nicolaus Christoph Lunker 1670 - 1713

Editor: So, this is Pieter Schenk's "Portret van Nicolaus Christoph Lunker," dating somewhere between 1670 and 1713. It’s an engraving. There’s something…intense about the gaze. All that elaborate wig and finery can't quite hide…what exactly? What do you see in it? Curator: It's like Schenk is trying to capture a little piece of immortality, isn't it? A Baroque dance between power and the ephemeral. That wig, outrageous as it is, speaks volumes – social standing, wealth, aspirations! But behind it all, there's this quiet humanity…a glimmer of vulnerability. He seems aware, somehow, of the fleeting nature of earthly grandeur. It feels almost melancholic, wouldn’t you say? As though the sitter were faintly troubled. Editor: Melancholic, yes, that's a great word for it! It is like he's almost…resigned? Did posing for these things take long? Curator: Hours, probably! Think about it – holding that pose, under those heavy clothes, for an engraver painstakingly working away. No wonder there's a hint of weariness in his eyes. This was a status symbol, absolutely, a way to be remembered. Did it ever work, do you suppose? Is Nicolaus here just a name and a wig today? Editor: It makes me wonder what people will think of our selfies in a few hundred years! Maybe they'll feel just as melancholic analyzing our ring lights. Curator: Perhaps our filtered facades will confound them! That's the beauty of art, isn’t it? It’s never really just about the subject, is it? Editor: Exactly! Thanks, that gives me a lot to think about.