Portret van René Antoine Houasse in ovaal op een voetstuk 1707

Editor: This is a print from 1707 by Antoine Trouvain. It’s titled "Portret van René Antoine Houasse in ovaal op een voetstuk," so "Portrait of René Antoine Houasse in oval on a pedestal," and it’s currently held at the Rijksmuseum. The first thing I notice is the incredible detail in the engraving, particularly in the wig! What’s your interpretation of this work? Curator: Oh, that wig, darling! It’s a statement, isn't it? Almost a character in itself. For me, this print isn't just a portrait, it's a carefully constructed piece of theatre. Houasse, captured within the rigid oval frame, perched upon a neoclassical pedestal... He’s being elevated, immortalized. Consider the text etched around the oval; it sings of his accomplishments, doesn’t it? Editor: It does, mentioning his roles at the Académie Royale. But what do you mean by "theatre"? Curator: Well, it’s a performance of status. Think of it! The Baroque loved to display wealth, power, accomplishment. Everything is designed to project prestige. Even the severe, formal pedestal seems to strain under the weight of expectation. Almost comically self-serious. Editor: So, the artist is intentionally playing with those Baroque conventions? Curator: Perhaps not *intentionally* playing, but certainly working within them, exaggerating them even. Do you see a hint of satire? A twinkle in Houasse’s eye? Or am I simply projecting my own 21st-century cynicism? Editor: Maybe a little projecting, but I see what you mean. The extreme formality does feel a bit…much. It’s like a perfectly posed Instagram photo, centuries before Instagram! Curator: Precisely! The need to be seen, admired, remembered... it's eternal. We might use filters and flattering angles, but the motivation? Timeless. It makes you wonder what Houasse himself would make of it all now, doesn't it? Editor: Definitely. I'll never look at a Baroque portrait the same way again. It's all a bit of a performance.