Buste van dr. Nicolaas Beets (1814-1903), letterkundige met sokkel van Rosso Asiago kalksteen 1894

This is a portrait bust of Dr. Nicolaas Beets, the Dutch writer, carved by Cornelis Beets from white marble, and set on a plinth of Rosso Asiago limestone. The carving of marble is a subtractive process. The sculptor starts with a solid block, and carefully removes material to reveal the form within. Consider the sheer physicality of this act. The labor, the skill, the time involved in rendering the likeness of Beets, complete with the soft folds of his robes. Marble dust fills the air, the rasp of tools shaping stone into flesh. But the plinth is important too. This contrasting material provides a grounding, and also speaks to the social context of the piece. Marble and limestone are both quarried materials, emblems of industry and extraction, and their presence here speaks to the wider world of labour and production. By attending to the materials and processes involved in creating this bust, we can appreciate its full significance, recognizing that it is far more than just a representation of a man, but an object that embodies cultural values and historical context.