Portret van Johan Raye van Breukelerwaard 1740

Editor: Here we have Johannes van Vilsteren's "Portrait of Johan Raye van Breukelerwaard," created around 1740. It looks like an engraving or drawing. There’s such formality to this portrait. How should we read this piece? Curator: It's vital to understand that portraits during this period weren't just about likeness; they were strategic assertions of power and status. How does Johan Raye's armour speak to the intersections of military strength and social standing, particularly when we consider the realities of the Dutch Republic's governance during that era? Editor: I hadn't considered the political implications so directly. It looks like the armour isn't really practical, or doesn’t signify military campaigns? Curator: Exactly! Think about who could commission such art. This portrait isn't a neutral depiction, but a constructed image serving specific interests. What sociopolitical class is truly represented, and conversely, who is excluded from such representation? Editor: So, by focusing on the material conditions of its creation and consumption, we can understand whose stories are being told – and whose aren’t. The composition reinforces the sitter's privilege? Curator: Precisely. By interrogating art history with contemporary theory, we make art more than just a thing of beauty and instead it becomes a means of exploring questions of gender, class, identity, and power, then and now. Editor: That connection between then and now feels like the most important part, somehow. Thanks. Curator: Absolutely! That critical lens empowers us to confront the social, economic and institutional structures of our present and the systems and values they express and uphold.