Reproductie van een ets van een portret van Jacob Foppens van Es door Wenceslaus Hollar before 1877

This etching reproduces a portrait of Jacob Foppens van Es, created by Joseph Maes, who was born in 1838 and died in 1908, after an original etching by Wenceslaus Hollar. Maes lived in an era marked by significant shifts in artistic reproduction and the rise of photography. As we consider this piece, think about the power dynamics embedded in portraiture, historically a privilege of the wealthy. Maes, in reproducing Hollar's etching, makes it accessible to a broader audience. Consider the gaze of Jacob Foppens van Es: what does it mean to reproduce his image, and how does it speak to notions of identity and legacy? This reproduction prompts questions about authenticity, originality, and the circulation of images in society, inviting us to reflect on who has the power to represent whom, and to what end. It encourages us to consider the layers of meaning embedded in a portrait, reproduced across time and artistic interpretation.