Portret van George III, koning van het Verenigd Koninkrijk 1731 - 1775

Curator: Richard Houston presents us with "Portret van George III, koning van het Verenigd Koninkrijk," an engraving dating roughly between 1731 and 1775. Its location here at the Rijksmuseum gives it a certain… gravitas, wouldn’t you say? Editor: Immediately I notice this sort of frozen quality—an almost artificial stiffness, despite the attempt at Baroque dynamism. The face is smooth, idealized. Does the circular frame amplify that sense of imposed order? Curator: I think you're on to something. The round frame within the rectangular format gives it a lovely depth and the smooth tonal gradations certainly speak of idealisation but there is something much more complex at work in a Baroque portrait which aimed for just that tension you spotted, a tension between power and the subject! Houston as an artist, aims to capture not just the likeness but the essence of royalty, its perceived glory. The sash, the star… all are calculated to radiate authority. Editor: Right, those semiotic markers are doing heavy lifting here! That star is like a visual full stop in the composition—boldly halting any lingering doubts about the sitter’s status. And you know what's wild to me? This feels… contemporary, relevant. Those circular and rectangular frame create a weird visual depth that would be replicated hundreds of years later through photography...and smartphone screens. Curator: And maybe we read it so immediately in our contemporary, media driven lives as something totally self-conscious, something knowing but this wasn't as wide-spread at that point in history! It wasn't pastiche yet! Houston used the academic portrait as a means of solidifying King George’s image and reign during the British enlightenment. But I find I am often stuck in an image of King George as an 'old fool' that echoes the American revolutionists who sought to tarnish him. How do you read the role and impact of these layers in art? Editor: Layers that accumulate! As an engraver, Houston relies on those visual textures and calculated lighting to achieve specific aesthetic effect, not dissimilar to the visual textures and image editing that builds 'an aesthetic' in modern platforms. But in answer to your question, my lasting thought about this portrait: Even rendered through the Baroque conventions and techniques, this image is haunting precisely because it suggests all those later manipulations, of royalty, revolution, technology and cultural context. Curator: Beautifully put! So much for a simple portrait of a king. Thank you for your thoughtful remarks, your thoughts leave a portrait impression!