Portret van Adriaen van Stalbemt 1627 - 1691

This is an undated portrait of Adriaen van Stalbemt by an anonymous artist. The drawing captures a man in a ruff collar, his hands gently clasped, rendered in sanguine on paper. The absence of information about the artist invites us to consider the power dynamics inherent in portraiture of this era. The sitter, Adriaen van Stalbemt, was a well-known painter; his identity and status were considered more significant than that of the person who sketched his likeness. What does it mean to be remembered, but to forget the hand that did the remembering? Consider how gender and class intersect here. We can imagine how, if the artist had been a woman, or someone of lower social standing, their name might easily have been lost to history. The drawing invites reflection on anonymity, and who gets to be remembered. It asks us to think about the countless unseen hands that contribute to our cultural heritage.