Portret van Jozef Karel De Meulemeester 1822

This is Guillaume Philidor Van den Burggraaff's portrait of Jozef Karel De Meulemeester. Consider the world in which Van den Burggraaff created this portrait. It's a time of strict social hierarchies, and portraiture like this reinforced those boundaries. De Meulemeester's identity as a professor at the Royal Academy of Drawing and other societies is very deliberately on display here. What does it mean to capture someone’s likeness? The sitter has agency and control, and in the context of the 18th century, this kind of portrait served to publicly affirm the sitter's status and accomplishments. The emotional restraint visible here also reflects societal norms about public presentation and decorum. Think about what is emphasized and what remains hidden. What does it mean to present a very specific kind of self to the world? Ultimately, this portrait offers a glimpse into the complex dynamics of identity, representation, and power of the time.