Portret van August Gottlieb Richter 1796 - 1817

Editor: Here we have Johann Heinrich Lips' "Portrait of August Gottlieb Richter," an engraving dating from between 1796 and 1817, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. I am struck by how the subject peers out at us, framed as if from a window. What kind of reading can we give this piece? Curator: Indeed, the window frame is significant. Lips uses it to present Richter as a figure both accessible and slightly removed. What do you think the window suggests symbolically? Editor: Perhaps it represents the subject's profession or role in society, positioning him as an authority looking out upon the world? Curator: Precisely. Consider Richter's attire and bearing. The neatly arranged wig and jacket indicate his status, while the soft rendering of his features conveys humanity. It's a carefully constructed image that borrows visual cues from earlier periods of Dutch portraiture, blending them with the emerging Neoclassical style of the time. The engraver presents the person, yet simultaneously the status. Editor: I also noticed he's holding a small object in his hand. Could that carry meaning? Curator: It certainly could. The presence of small objects or implements are common devices to point to some symbolic expression. I would want to look at similar portraits and images from this period. His hand gesture, the soft gaze and direction – Lips includes many signals. Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn't considered all the layers of visual language. So it is like reading the image through its various poses. Curator: Exactly! By recognizing recurring motifs and symbolic arrangements, we begin to uncover layers of cultural memory embedded within the artwork. We both can use what we see as evidence to support what is otherwise not seen. Editor: I am not sure that I ever gave much weight to windows within portraits before. Thanks, it has opened my eyes to an approach to seeing.