Herm met gezicht van zwart kind c. 1660

Curator: This Baroque engraving, titled "Herm met gezicht van zwart kind," by François Bourlier, dates back to around 1660. What captures your attention right away? Editor: A certain melancholy hangs in the air, doesn’t it? It's a portrait, but imbued with a kind of quiet introspection. And the fine lines of the engraving, almost like a whisper. Curator: The engraving style definitely lends itself to that sense of delicacy. It is achieved with closely placed fine parallel lines, particularly apparent in the shaded areas. It has a very tactile feel as an image, I think. Almost sculptural. Editor: Yes, and note how Bourlier positions the sitter in profile, set upon a sculpted plinth— it reminds me of classical busts but subverts the expected subject matter. What's curious is the choice of presenting a child, specifically a Black child, in this traditional format, thus forcing the viewer to examine both form and racial hierarchies present at the time. Curator: Exactly, it brings so much to the surface about the social context. The gaze is averted. Is that reticence, you think, or a studied pose, reflective of the European vision of "exotic" figures? I’m torn. I am thinking of power relations and representations and what all that means for this young person's agency. Editor: Power and representation. A constant dance. What Bourlier does effectively is challenge us to read beyond the surface, isn't it? He makes us interrogate those "objective" art historical categories like "portrait" and "Baroque" and wonder what histories have been left out of these constructs. Curator: It’s true; it’s more than a formal exercise. It is not just another face but a story rendered in ink. Something so easily overlooked in the grand narratives, but profoundly visible when we stop and truly look. Editor: Beautifully put. This unassuming little engraving leaves us with a lot to chew on, doesn't it? A potent reminder of art's ability to prompt deeper reflections and complex questioning.