Buste van Josephus Albertus Alberdingk Thijm (1820-1889), katholiek letterkundige en handelsman c. 1900

This is a marble bust of Josephus Albertus Alberdingk Thijm, a 19th-century Dutch Catholic man of letters and merchant, made by Hein J. Maessen. Alberdingk Thijm was a public intellectual, deeply engaged in the cultural debates of his time. This sculpture speaks to the cultural politics of the Netherlands. It tells of the country’s 19th-century Catholic emancipation and the growing public role of Catholic intellectuals. Note that the Netherlands was once a staunchly Protestant country. But during the 1800s, Catholics gradually regained their civil rights and visibility. The stern look and formal attire reflect the seriousness with which Alberdingk Thijm approached his dual roles. To understand this bust more fully, we would need to delve into the history of Dutch Catholicism, the biography of Alberdingk Thijm, and the artistic conventions of 19th-century portrait sculpture. The meaning of this artwork resides not only in its form but also in its complex social and historical context.