Portret van Jeremias Pierssene 1639

This is Paulus Pontius’s undated portrait of Jeremias Pierssene, created with engraving. The composition is structured by contrasting shapes: the severe rectangle of the plate’s edge opposes the soft oval containing Pierssene. Note how the internal elements of the portrait – the curves of the fur collar and the soft textures of the beard – echo the outer oval, creating a cohesive visual field. The text that surrounds the portrait isolates Pierssene, framing him as a figure of significance within a complex semiotic network. Engraving, as a medium, lends itself to the creation of sharp lines and tonal gradations, notice how Pontius uses this to create a sense of depth and texture, particularly in the rendering of the fur. This attention to detail functions not just aesthetically but also as a marker of social status, reinforcing the sitter’s identity within the cultural landscape of his time.