Portret van Stanislaus Leszczyński, koning van Polen 1761

Curator: Oh, my first impression? Solemn. But maybe not in a bad way? It's got this kind of quiet authority. Editor: Absolutely. We're looking at Johann Friedrich Bause's "Portret van Stanislaus Leszczyński, koning van Polen," an engraving from 1761. Curator: Engravings always get me with the level of detail… but something about his eyes… a touch of mischief perhaps? Editor: I see it! And notice the laurel wreath – that classic symbol of triumph and lasting fame. Consider the inscription below: "Sein Name wird zu allen Zeiten leben," meaning "His name will live for all time." A strong message. The engraver's playing with cultural memory. The theatrical Baroque setting enhances the subject’s aura, as if frozen in perpetual self-display. Curator: And it kind of worked. He *did* become rather immortalized, didn’t he? Though, the Baroque… isn’t it all about *seeming* rather than *being*? That laurel wreath… a little self-aggrandizing perhaps? Editor: Well, that’s Baroque portraiture in a nutshell! Think of the historical context. Polish King, Duke of Lorraine. The man was trying to secure a legacy through symbolic gestures. Engravings like this helped solidify those images in the public mind. This work functions as a cultural object meant to elevate Leszczyński within a very specific frame. Curator: That’s interesting to ponder on how artists played then, like they still do now, with persona, how fame can be crafted with all these subtle messages and well-worn symbols, especially the laurel wreath… Editor: Agreed! Looking closer now, what fascinates me is the meticulous execution of the fur stole—it really draws the eye. It anchors the opulence but hints at the transience of worldly grandeur, reminding me that all we really leave behind are our stories. Curator: That hits home, it feels as true as when Bause conceived of this portrait; an old story that still rings true somehow.