Portret van Jacobus Taurinus 1657 - 1707

This is Hendrik Bary's portrait of Jacobus Taurinus, made with engraving techniques. The composition draws your eye to the center, where Taurinus is framed by a curtain and a bookcase. Notice the sharp lines of the books, contrasting with the softer, more curved lines of Taurinus's figure. These lines create a visual structure, a kind of intellectual scaffolding around the subject. Bary uses contrasting tones to define the shapes and textures, highlighting the materiality of the print itself. The use of light and shadow gives depth to the figure and the setting, but it also subtly emphasizes the sitter's serious expression. What we are seeing is not just a likeness, but a carefully constructed image that uses formal elements to communicate ideas about intellect, authority, and perhaps, the weight of knowledge.