Portret van Hardy c. 1882 - 1884

Adolphe Varin created this print, “Portret van Hardy,” in the 19th century. It depicts a man named Hardy, who lived from 1470 to 1530. Varin's work invites us to think about the politics of representation and historical memory. Who gets remembered, and how? Hardy is described as a painter and professor from the Liege school, a student of Barban, and a master of Lombard. While these credentials position him within a lineage of artistic and intellectual tradition, Varin’s print also speaks to the exclusivity of these institutions. Consider who had access to education and artistic training during this period. Varin’s “Portret van Hardy” asks us to reflect on the power structures inherent in historical narratives and portraiture. The act of immortalizing an individual through art is, after all, a selective and subjective endeavor. It also encourages us to ponder the many untold stories of those excluded from the historical record.