Portret van Wolfgang Lazius 1682

This is Edme de Boulonois's "Portret van Wolfgang Lazius," a print at the Rijksmuseum. The portrait, rendered in stark blacks and whites, immediately draws our attention to the figure's composed gaze. The dense, intricate lines create a play of light and shadow that models Lazius's face, imbuing it with a sense of depth and character. Boulonois structures the composition to emphasize the sitter's presence. The use of hatching and cross-hatching builds up tonal variations, which both define the form and convey texture. The formal structure of the portrait—the deliberate arrangement of light, shadow, and line—serves not merely to represent Lazius but to construct him as a figure of intellectual authority. Note the semiotic system at play: The way the print's lines capture the fall of light not only models Lazius's face but also highlights the cultural codes associated with his time, reflecting how meaning is constructed through visual representation and cultural context. The artwork then, becomes a site of ongoing interpretation.