Portrait of Gijsbert Tijssens (1693-1732), Playwright in Amsterdam 1732 - 1771

Curator: Oh, this little beauty just radiates calm, doesn’t it? There's a gentleness to it, even in its formality. Editor: It's Jan Maurits Quinkhard's portrait of Gijsbert Tijssens, a playwright from Amsterdam. It’s believed to have been completed sometime between 1732 and 1771. Curator: Tijssens, frozen in time, holding his script, no doubt! I wonder what kind of plays he penned. Perhaps comedies, given that faint knowing smile? Or perhaps tragedies…we always seem to look melancholic in retrospect, don't we? Editor: It is rendered in charcoal, which feels like an interesting choice for the time. Charcoal implies immediacy, and accessibility. The dark tones were very popular for those in mourning too. Do you think that Tijssens knew that this art work could become more significant as time went on? Curator: Perhaps. I see that it also captures something timeless in his humanity... the quiet ambition, the flicker of self-doubt that probably haunts us all at some point. Isn't it curious how the tools of art, whether charcoal or words, aim to defy it? Editor: The oval frame—so ornate—feels symbolic, too, confining him, but also elevating him to a different world. Perhaps the theater? Or maybe a subtle reminder of the restrictive social structures that dictated so many aspects of life in the 18th century, the importance of theater in such a structured time is quite profound. Curator: Yes! A tiny rebellion contained, neatly framed. It makes you wonder about all the untold stories hidden behind those buttoned-up coats. I wish he was here to whisper it to us... what secrets that paper held. Editor: Or that he held himself from writing! Curator: It’s such a delicate dance. I am in love with it! Editor: Agreed, a quiet, contemplative portrait of a playwright that whispers volumes.