Silhouetportret van Everard Ambrosius Zubli 1809 - 1848

Editor: Here we have Pieter Barbiers' "Silhouette Portrait of Everard Ambrosius Zubli," made sometime between 1809 and 1848. It's a print on paper. It has a stern but very clean aesthetic to it. What stands out to you most in this work? Curator: The seemingly simple silhouette becomes fascinating when considering its production. We have paper, a relatively cheap and accessible material by the 19th century, but transforming it into a likeness involved skilled labor, even for something as "simple" as a silhouette. Who had access to this kind of portraiture, and what statement were they making about themselves through this consumable item? Editor: That's a really interesting way of framing it, not just about likeness, but the context. What was the technique here? Was this silhouette cut freehand, or was it mechanically reproduced? Curator: That's a crucial question. Close examination—the type of paper, the sharpness of the lines—can give us clues. Mass production, even in this early period, would influence the price and therefore, who could acquire such an image. The artist, the printer, and the sitter, Zubli, all participated in this material exchange. And note the handwriting. It adds personality to this seemingly “flat” portrait, making us think of the labor involved in inscribing Zubli’s name onto each of these works. Editor: So even a portrait that feels so... distant... really tells us a lot about society and economics back then. It's about class, access, labor… the materiality makes it tangible. Curator: Precisely. By considering the paper, the printing process, and the hand inscription, we can unearth layers of social and economic meaning embedded within this "Silhouetportret".