Portret van Dirk Seimens van Binnevest 1774 - 1776

Editor: This is "Portret van Dirk Seimens van Binnevest" by Jacob Houbraken, made between 1774 and 1776. It's an engraving, a print on paper. It has a very formal feel to it; I wonder what role these kinds of portraits played in society at the time? What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's interesting you pick up on the formality. Consider the historical context: engravings like this circulated widely. This wasn’t necessarily about intimate connection with the sitter, but rather about disseminating images of prominent figures – clergy, academics, political leaders – within a growing public sphere. What do you think that blank space at the bottom might have been used for? Editor: Oh, interesting! Maybe for a caption, some identifying text? So, it's less about art and more about… public relations, maybe? Curator: Exactly! It served almost as an early form of social media. Printmaking democratized imagery. While an oil painting was only for the elite, engravings allowed a wider audience to engage with and recognize influential figures. They could be bound into books, circulated independently. The proliferation of images like this also fueled ideas about celebrity and the construction of public identity. Does that shift your perception of it? Editor: It does! I was so focused on the artistic skill, the fine lines, that I completely missed the bigger picture – the social impact, its accessibility, the dawn of celebrity culture! It makes the image so much more relevant. Curator: Precisely. We can appreciate the craft while also considering its role in shaping public opinion and visual culture. Editor: Thank you! I'll definitely look at prints differently from now on, considering how they functioned in their original moment.