Portret van Bocco van Burmania 1616 - 1676

Editor: This is "Portret van Bocco van Burmania," a Baroque engraving made sometime between 1616 and 1676 by Theodor Matham. It's currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. The delicate lines really capture a sense of youthful gentility, but there's also something almost melancholy about it. What draws your eye when you look at this print? Curator: It’s fascinating, isn't it? The precision of the lines Matham achieves with engraving is breathtaking. But beyond technique, I see a kind of theatrical performance. Portraits then were less about strict likeness and more about presenting an image, an ideal. Bocco, although quite young, is deliberately positioned, framed by that oval, almost like he's on stage. Doesn’t it make you wonder what stories he's been told about himself, what role he's expected to play? It is, if I can be honest, beautiful and deeply weird. Editor: Weird in what way? Curator: Weird because he seems so posed and the effect is he is wearing adulthood, rather than just living it. And he looks to be about 12! All that weight on those young shoulders. I mean, goodness me. Editor: That's a powerful reading! I was focused on the individual skill, but now I see how that technical mastery serves a larger purpose— constructing an identity, almost a brand. Curator: Exactly! And remember, prints were often made to circulate ideas, power, influence... think of this print as a very early form of influencer marketing. And as much as you, I love the idea that what’s influencing folks today has very long, twisty, and often humorous, historical roots. Editor: I'll definitely be thinking about Bocco's brand the next time I scroll through Instagram! Thanks, this has really opened my eyes to how much more there is to this seemingly simple portrait.