Portret van Paul Sandby, tekenend aan het venster 1763

This is Edward Fisher's portrait of Paul Sandby, made using mezzotint. Here, Sandby is portrayed sketching by a window, a motif laden with symbolism. The window, acting as a frame within a frame, invites reflection on the nature of sight and artistic representation. This recalls the Renaissance concept of the window as a metaphor for painting, a portal through which we view a constructed reality. Yet, the window is also a barrier, a separation between the artist's interior world and the external landscape. This liminal space, between inside and out, brings to mind the psychological concept of 'thresholds', those moments of transition and transformation where our inner selves engage with the world's possibilities. The image resonates with a deep-seated human desire to capture and understand the world around us, a pursuit that is both intellectual and deeply emotional. This is how Sandby's portrait echoes through time.