James Howel Standing in a Forest 1641

Curator: Standing before us is "James Howel Standing in a Forest," a 1641 etching by Claude Mellan. The work resides here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: It's surprisingly… modern, in a way. There’s an informal quality. I can almost feel the quiet solitude of the woods. Curator: Mellan's mastery lies in his handling of the burin. The etching transforms what would be a political portrait into a deeper statement about labor and place in early modern Europe. Look at how the line defines the fabric, suggesting its weight, its source. The paper substrate supports it all. Editor: Yes, and James Howel's pose feels intentional too. Leaning casually against the tree. Is this a symbol of claiming land and the power structures inherent to it? How does this imagery reflect the societal anxieties of its time, particularly for the individual depicted? Curator: It is compelling how Mellan depicts texture through lines alone—the roughness of the bark, the silkiness of the cape. But notice the inscription. Do we think Howel perhaps had input here, into crafting of this piece? And How might Mellan be balancing patronage with his own style here? Editor: It's hard not to see that. Given the context of 17th-century portraiture, this etching operates on multiple levels. It serves to memorialize Howell, and presents him with dignity and perhaps even authority. But the pastoral backdrop may represent an idealized version of the societal role, masking the complexities. Curator: True. What resonates for me is the sheer skill demanded by the process—the precise application of acid to create these lines on the plate, and then printing them on paper. Mellan pushes the medium, demonstrating what labor and the application of simple materials can achieve. Editor: Considering these layered perspectives makes you consider class, gender, power. Curator: Indeed, this etching by Claude Mellan serves as both a portrait of its subject, and of the world in which it was created. Editor: A forest of thought, conjured in lines.