Portret van Cornelis Anthony Fannius Scholten 1814 - 1817

Jacob Ernst Marcus created this portrait of Cornelis Anthony Fannius Scholten using etching. Notice how the composition is structured by the oval shape of the portrait, set against a rectangular grid of lines in the background. Marcus plays with figure-ground relationships here. The details of the face are rendered with sharp precision. Yet, the portrait is enclosed within a smooth, linear oval. Below this, a blank rectangular space is framed by the same grid pattern. This interplay between organic and geometric shapes creates a visual tension. The etching technique itself contributes to the artwork's overall meaning. Each line, each shadow, is carefully inscribed, emphasizing the constructed nature of the image. This precision reflects a broader interest in the Enlightenment era in reason, order, and the classification of knowledge. The formal qualities of this portrait thus operate within a larger cultural discourse, reminding us that even the most seemingly straightforward representation is mediated by artistic technique and social context.