Portret van Michiel Samuel de Mestral 1723

Mattheus Verheyden made this portrait of Michiel Samuel de Mestral with graphite and grey wash on paper sometime in the 18th century. During the 1700s, portraiture played a key role in constructing and communicating social status. Consider the context of the Enlightenment, where reason and individualism were ascending ideals. Portraits like this one often served to embody these virtues, reflecting the sitter's place within the social hierarchy. Michiel is presented with the markers of wealth and status of the time – wig, clothing. What isn't seen in the image is how race and class were inextricably linked to this status. It's worth remembering the system of colonialism which facilitated the accumulation of such status. As you look, consider how images like these might have served to reinforce a particular worldview. The delicacy of the drawing invites a certain intimacy, but also perhaps, a critical distance.