Portret van Jan Mensing 1782

Editor: Here we have Johannes Cornelis Mertens’s "Portret van Jan Mensing" from 1782, a pencil drawing now residing at the Rijksmuseum. There's something very direct and unfussy about the portrait, quite different from some of the more formal works of the time. What’s your take on it? Curator: Well, for me, it whispers of the quiet corners of the Neoclassical period, that breath before the revolution truly hits. You see this Mensing character – not idealized, is he? Raw, almost vulnerable. The lines, they dance a simple truth, eschewing the pomp that portraits of the era often embrace. What do you suppose the artist wanted to capture, beyond mere likeness? Editor: Maybe a sense of the man's character? He seems…grounded. Not someone caught up in courtly games. Curator: Exactly! There's an immediacy, isn't there? Think of the artist’s hand, the quick strokes – imagine him, sketching rapidly, trying to seize something essential. That rawness, that imperfection, it’s where the real story hides. Does the dry-media feel appropriate for the period to you? Editor: Actually, yes. The dryness, the relative ease of use… it suits this more intimate, less formal portrayal. Curator: And see how the Neo-Classical is fighting with the existing styles, you can find similar art that could not be distinguished as such! So this drawing lives in this space that is familiar yet distinct from its origin, making us question our assumptions! That's what great art can do. Editor: It really gives you a different way of seeing portraiture, a real inside glimpse of humanity. Curator: Agreed. A peek into a soul, quickly jotted down in a moment of raw, revealing, beautiful, and deeply human exchange.