Portretten van Quinten Massijs I, Jheronimus Bosch en Aertgen van Leyden 1764

Editor: Here we have an engraving from 1764, titled *Portretten van Quinten Massijs I, Jheronimus Bosch en Aertgen van Leyden*, created by Jan l' Admiral. The composition feels like a playful take on the artist's studio, with these almost comically serious portraits. What jumps out to you? Curator: Oh, this! This feels like stumbling upon a delightful secret, doesn't it? It’s more than just portraits; it's a hall of mirrors reflecting on artistic legacy. Admiral's choice to depict Massijs, Bosch, and van Leyden together, well, it's like gathering mischievous spirits for a séance. Look at how he uses the print medium, the delicate lines suggesting both precision and the slight remove of history. It begs the question: Are these true likenesses or Admiral's fantasies of these masters? Editor: That's fascinating, the idea of it being a fantasy! I hadn’t considered that. I was focused on how serious they all look, but the thought that it might be imagined makes me wonder what he thought about each of them. Curator: Precisely! Think about Bosch's inclusion – known for his surreal landscapes and moralistic themes. Placing him alongside more "traditional" portraitists like Massijs... is it commentary? Admiration? Perhaps even a little artistic envy? He’s basically creating his own artistic pantheon here. What I love is how it invites us to play art historian, piecing together narratives. Editor: It's definitely made me rethink what a portrait can be! More than just a record, but an interpretation. Curator: Exactly! It's less about visual accuracy and more about the artist's dialogue with the past. That’s the magic, isn't it? We began by looking and have somehow tumbled headfirst into the artist's mind and art history at once. A wonderful entanglement, really.