Joseph Addison 1748

Editor: So, this print depicts Joseph Addison, by Jacobus Houbraken. I am struck by how it almost feels like a stage, with the portrait elevated above these symbolic objects. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's funny you say stage, because doesn't life sometimes feel like one? I'm drawn to that lower section – the mask, the trumpet, the book. They speak to Addison's life, perhaps. Think of it – each object telling a story, a secret language of his accomplishments. What do you think? Editor: I didn't catch that at first. The symbols are much more intimate than I thought. Curator: Art hides in plain sight, doesn't it? Sometimes, it's just waiting for us to ask the right questions. Editor: Definitely a new perspective on portraits for me.