Portret van Karel de Stoute, hertog van Bourgondië 1745

Curator: Before us stands Hendrik Spilman's "Portret van Karel de Stoute, hertog van Bourgondië," an engraving from 1745. Its current location is the Rijksmuseum. What strikes you first about it? Editor: The rigid pose, the almost clinical detail in rendering the armor—it all speaks to me of calculated power and, perhaps, a hint of underlying fragility. Does that resonate with the social and material context? Curator: Absolutely. Spilman created this engraving during the Baroque period, a time of heightened emphasis on detail and historical representation. The very act of reproducing Charles the Bold's image speaks to the consumption of history, making the past into a commodity through printmaking technology. Consider the materials—ink, paper, the copperplate. Each held specific values and demands, reflecting the networks of patronage and skill involved in its production. Editor: And there’s an implied audience here too. This isn't courtly flattery; it's a reproduction for distribution. The question of access really interests me: who could afford it, where was it consumed, and what was its social impact? There is such a strong, if perhaps misplaced, desire for realism present, especially as history painting and portraits went. Does the print aim to educate, intimidate, or simply commemorate the Duke? Curator: All valid points, really. Its presence in the Rijksmuseum certainly elevates the work from a possibly utilitarian print into an artifact, blurring our lines between art and artifact. Perhaps Spilman, consciously or not, comments on this even then. Editor: I suppose, in the end, a bit of the "boldness" suggested by his title survives, doesn't it? Or is it merely the glint of his polished armour, fooling me into thinking it still matters. Curator: Well said, both are certainly worthy to ponder, and perhaps we should allow listeners that opportunity.