Portret van Jacobus Latomus 1572

Curator: Before us is a work titled "Portret van Jacobus Latomus," created in 1572 by Philips Galle. It currently resides in the Rijksmuseum. My immediate thought is the stark contrast of light and shadow; it really grabs your attention. What's your take? Editor: I'm immediately struck by the texture. The way the lines carve out the folds in the clothing, the almost metallic sheen of the fabric - it’s all crafted so deliberately. You can sense the engraver’s hand at work. Curator: Indeed. Galle, active in a period of significant religious and political upheaval, often made prints with subtle, politically charged messaging. Latomus, as a theologian, would have been a prominent figure in those debates. These portraits served a crucial role in establishing a public persona for influential people like him. Editor: And you see it reflected in the materials too. The choice of printmaking, specifically engraving, meant this image could be reproduced and widely circulated. It speaks to a desire to disseminate Latomus’s image and, by extension, his ideas to a broader audience. It makes one think of the accessibility and scale that print-making introduced compared to single painted portraits, or even manuscript illuminations. Curator: Exactly! The Latin inscription reinforces that accessibility by spreading knowledge of the theologian beyond the circles who knew him directly. But how does it connect with ideas of labor, or making do you think? Editor: Well, each line in that engraving had to be carved individually, likely after numerous drawings, so the level of focused labour, to create so precise an image is rather incredible. This craft and skilled execution adds an air of authority and lasting importance, both to the theologian and his work. Curator: I hadn't thought of it in terms of skilled execution, more the opposite really! Almost the banality of its function to proliferate his image as efficiently as possible. Still, there's undeniably skill here, whether as purely art, or political function. Editor: It makes you really wonder about all of the skilled, but maybe anonymous makers who’s efforts have worked to frame powerful images. Thanks for bringing it to my attention in all these interesting historical aspects! Curator: And thank you for grounding us with those realities, in process.