Zes mannenkoppen, waaronder Christus en een man met kaars 1705 - 1775

Editor: This is “Six Male Heads, including Christ and a Man with Candle,” an engraving made sometime between 1705 and 1775 by Johann Georg Hertel. It's a striking composition of faces. They seem almost like character studies. What story do you think Hertel is trying to tell, clustering them all together like this? Curator: Hertel certainly captured a spectrum of human emotion here, didn't he? The contrast between the figure of Christ, marked with suffering, and the others is quite telling. But the fellow with the candle, almost shielding the light… he intrigues me the most. Editor: Because his purpose isn't so clear? Curator: Exactly! He seems to represent knowledge, perhaps, or secrecy? And juxtaposed with these other "types" so carefully observed... You almost expect them to speak, don't you? It's as if Hertel has captured little snippets of different plays all in one go! Do you feel drawn to one particular character, one more than the others? Editor: I think I like the one in the lower right corner, the older man with the intense gaze. Curator: He’s compelling, isn’t he? It’s those deeply etched lines on his face... They speak of a life lived. But, remember, Hertel wasn’t just portraying individuals; he was examining humanity, just like you are starting to do. Editor: I guess what I'm starting to see is how Hertel has presented more than a collection of portraits; he's captured different facets of human experience, perhaps? Curator: Precisely! And it’s precisely that… which continues to make it so deeply resonant, even today. What a delicious mystery!