Twaalf mannenhoofden die verschillende manieren tonen om een hoed te dragen 1710

Curator: My eye is drawn to the sheer proliferation of powdered wigs here. Editor: Absolutely. Before us is "Twelve Heads of Men Showing Various Ways of Wearing a Hat," a drawing crafted around 1710 by Bernard Picart, currently residing in the Rijksmuseum. Curator: Right, so immediately I notice these hats aren't just functional. They're practically characters in themselves! They convey so much about status and conformity, even the slight variations tell a whole story. Editor: Yes, each head presents a different micro-performance of identity. It reminds me of that saying, "Clothes make the man." It seems intensely literal here, a semiotic game played out across each tilt and flourish. The hat as a cultural signifier. Curator: Definitely! And look at the baroque sensibility in those swirling lines—all that ornate hair. Each man a carefully constructed facade. There's this almost theatrical sense to each portrayal, wouldn't you agree? Editor: I do! And Picart really captures that Baroque theatricality and excess. Also, do you notice how controlled, how precise the strokes are? It almost seems like a study or preparatory work of some kind. The ink lines almost give the effect of meticulously planned chaos. Curator: Interesting. The image has a real feeling of the 'ancien regime' on the verge of massive change. I wonder if there's an intentional nod here to how these elite displays will eventually appear ridiculous. Editor: A visual prelude to revolution! Perhaps. Anyway, these minute details bring the piece alive for me. A little insight into a bygone world. Curator: I couldn't agree more.