Portret van Emanuel van Meteren 1623

This is an undated portrait of Emanuel van Meteren, created by an anonymous artist and held at the Rijksmuseum. The engraving presents a complex visual interplay of frame and subject. Van Meteren’s figure is centered in an oval, while a surrounding rectangular frame bristles with dense ornamentation of fruit garlands and heraldic crests. The composition strikes a balance between organic fluidity and rigid structure. The flowing lines of the garlands contrast with the sharp angles of the frame. This visual tension underscores the complexities of representation during this era, caught between naturalistic observation and symbolic idealization. The materiality of the engraving—the fine, precise lines incised into the plate—enhances this tension, giving the artwork a tactile quality that draws the viewer in. The work destabilizes established meanings by incorporating Hebraic text, challenging the conventional iconographic language of portraiture. This inclusion hints at broader philosophical concerns, inviting an ongoing re-interpretation of the artwork's cultural and intellectual context.