Portret van Albert, prins van Saksen-Coburg en Gotha 1840 - 1847

Editor: Here we have a finely wrought print dating from the 1840s, a portrait of Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, by Bernard Romain Julien. It strikes me as very… buttoned-up, stiff even. I'm curious, what's your read on it? Curator: "Buttoned-up," you say? Oh, darling, aren't we all, just a little bit? Look closer – past the military regalia, the medals practically shouting for attention, and you'll find a face striving for… what? Serenity? Perhaps Albert himself felt trapped in the very image he had to project. What does academic art say, but I am worthy? He might’ve yearned for a meadow stroll, or perhaps a stolen kiss instead of another official ceremony. Don’t you think the almost haunting gaze hints at some private longing? Or am I simply projecting? Editor: That's a very romantic notion! I hadn’t considered it that way. I was mostly focused on the detail of the engraving itself, the technique. Curator: Technique, yes! Marvelous, isn't it? Each tiny line breathes life – or perhaps meticulously constructs a cage around it. But darling, even in precision, there is poetry, isn't there? Just like life... Editor: Absolutely! It's amazing how a different perspective can completely change the feeling of a piece. Curator: Ah, yes! The art's funny old trick: To show you a glimpse in a different mirror.