Portret van Dirck Volckertsz. Coornhert 1696 - 1743

Editor: Here we have Jan Lamsvelt's "Portret van Dirck Volckertsz. Coornhert," an engraving on paper dating somewhere between 1696 and 1743, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. The man’s face really draws you in, but something about the style feels…stiff? What's your take on it? Curator: Stiff, eh? Perhaps 'deliberate' is a kinder word! It’s an interesting piece, isn't it? It’s reaching back towards the Northern Renaissance even while the Baroque is in full swing. You see that meticulous detail, the almost stubborn refusal to idealize? It feels very…Dutch, doesn't it? A world where individual character mattered. I always wonder, looking at portraits like this, what it must have been like to sit for hours while someone painstakingly etched your likeness. Did they talk? Did the sitter fidget? I bet Coornhert was an impatient man. What do you think the inscription below tells us? Editor: Hmm, I'm not fluent in 17th century Dutch! But judging by the capitalization and the mention of Amsterdam, maybe it’s some kind of epitaph or dedication? It definitely gives the piece more depth. Curator: Exactly! It elevates the portrait. It provides an intellectual and spiritual context to the depiction, enriching it further. Did you also notice the signature? Jan Lamsvelt. That means we know the artist and his intention to communicate Coornhert’s intellectual and spiritual significance. Editor: That's a great point. I see now that there's more to it than just a portrait of an old man. I’ve certainly learned something. Curator: As have I. Thinking aloud like this, you come to new connections every time. I always find art opens you up to the history.