Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (1532-1588), English Nobleman, Governor-General of the United Provinces in 1585-87 1586

Curator: This portrait presents Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, created in 1586 by Hendrick Goltzius. It’s an engraving, a print on paper, currently held at the Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: He looks rather serious, doesn’t he? Very proper and… well, important. The artist did a superb job rendering texture, all those delicate lines suggesting the fur and lace are truly remarkable! Curator: Indeed. The Northern Renaissance engraving style lends itself well to capturing fine detail. Note how the circular frame containing Dudley suggests a kind of enforced perfection and the precision within Goltzius' lines creating depth, modeling the form meticulously, almost surgically. Editor: Surgically is a bit…strong, perhaps? But the frame gives it an odd sense of containment. Makes you wonder about all the unspoken aspects of such a controlled, poised public figure. You know? What did he really think behind that magnificent beard and slightly intimidating stare? Curator: His stare engages in several semiotic relationships within the frame: the upward tilting gaze versus the symmetry of its container; the intricate details of the ruff draw attention to the subject’s features. Editor: Ruff indeed! It seems profoundly uncomfortable, doesn't it? What a strange device! I would struggle to hold myself so… erect… all the time! It is like a whole architecture to frame his head. Curator: It's all carefully calculated and curated to create the appropriate projection of power, don’t you think? The text looping along the border contributes in no small way to this representation. The man needed a great deal of representation and marketing. Editor: Of course. Every choice underscores this persona and presence. Looking closely—I would not want to tangle with Dudley; an incredibly astute observation made through etching! I may have more in common with that fur ruff than this important historical figure… stuffy! Curator: An evocative thought to conclude, leaving us to examine the intricate details of Goltzius’s engraving and reconsider the projected identities we still present to the world today. Editor: Precisely. Though I would rather see myself with a little more "razzle dazzle" in an art piece like that of old!