Portret van prostituée Sally Salisbury, op 33-jarige leeftijd 1723

Curator: Allow me to introduce a striking portrait from 1723 by Jan Wandelaar. It's titled "Portret van prostituée Sally Salisbury, op 33-jarige leeftijd" here at the Rijksmuseum, and executed as an engraving. Editor: It's funny; it's almost coy. I mean, there's definitely something direct in her gaze but the little oval frame softens it. There's this theatricality...it doesn't look necessarily "old" despite the style and the clear detail. The eyes just feel present, maybe mischievous. Curator: Interesting. The use of engraving gives it that crisp precision, focusing our attention on the texture of fabric, the arrangement of her hair, the tiny lettering beneath, almost celebrating her "profession". The whole printmaking process here involves labor, skill and dissemination that could be seen in tension with subject. Editor: Precisely, look at the caption on the print. It's a woman described simultaneously with cherubic qualities, the favored plaything of British elites, and a summary of evil all rolled into one, that's quite a mouthful! So, we see how these kinds of objects served to both sensationalize and judge the subject. It makes you wonder about the social commentary Wandelaar aimed for when creating this print. Curator: I love the detail, even down to the words under her portrait, how they contrast sharply with her age indicated at the bottom of the engraving. There's something haunting about seeing youth presented alongside words suggesting moral failing or fleeting pleasure. Editor: Perhaps it prompts questions, were these prints more like moral pamphlets, aimed at both shaming and tantalizing their audiences? Considering it a consumer object definitely sheds some new light. I can’t help but wonder about who was buying these, how they circulated, and what purpose they really served. Curator: What started as a coy portrait has become something infinitely darker and complex! I like that a piece so seemingly small can hold so many layers. Editor: Exactly. Who knew a tiny print could unpack so many tricky ideas about labor, desire, morality, and, above all, visibility!