Francis Beaumont 1729

Editor: Here we have George Vertue’s engraving of Francis Beaumont. It's quite theatrical, isn't it, with the masks and the trumpet peeking out from the top of the oval frame? What catches your eye in this portrait? Curator: Well, it's a fascinating glimpse into how artists wanted to be seen. Vertue is presenting Beaumont, the playwright, as a figure deeply intertwined with the stage, almost consumed by it. The frame itself becomes a proscenium. Doesn't that suggest something of the artist's own self-image? Editor: That's a great point. So it's not just a portrait, but a statement about the artist's world? Curator: Precisely! And maybe a slight wink to the audience, inviting us to consider the artifice of it all. Editor: I never thought about it that way. It makes the whole image feel much more layered and alive.