Portret van Jacobus Everardus Josephus van den Berg 1840 - 1861

Curator: Here we have David Bles’s "Portret van Jacobus Everardus Josephus van den Berg," a drawing housed right here in the Rijksmuseum and estimated to be created sometime between 1840 and 1861. Editor: The ink lends a quality that walks the line between meticulous observation and raw emotion. You know, his folded arms and direct gaze project confidence but there is a tension in those lines around his eyes that hints at an internal complexity, I wonder about the context. Curator: Well, historically, portraiture was often used as a tool for social positioning, establishing identity, commemorating lineage. Displayed publicly or privately, these images subtly communicated one’s belonging within a specific societal structure. Bles, although Jewish in an environment of discrimination, moved successfully into artistic circles, painting in the popular taste, here seemingly depicting Van den Berg with a sharp and skilled likeness. Editor: Right. And you feel that in this particular image. It's fascinating how the very materiality—the ink itself— contributes to the emotional weight. The contrast between light and dark gives his face such strong structure. I feel like the shadow adds depth beyond mere representation. He’s holding onto something unspoken. Curator: Ink carries so much history, from illuminated manuscripts to political cartoons. When viewing this ink-based drawing, I'm instantly considering what traditions Bles is tapping into here. Is it a commentary on power dynamics or a personal meditation on aging, status and, I feel I must add, is his magnificent, heavily inked beard playing any conscious role? Editor: I'd venture to say definitely! I do agree that this particular composition brings a wealth of implied meanings, perhaps rooted in archetypal masculine figures of authority, or something deeper. Bles's drawing manages to subtly imbue a timeless, or perhaps more accurately, a culturally lasting symbolic identity to his subject. Curator: That balance between specific detail and symbolic representation is, for me, the real achievement. We get a sense of both the individual and a wider archetype. I do wish we knew more about the man behind that epic beard. Editor: Ultimately, doesn't it challenge our modern sensibility to truly capture an era through symbolic visual codes, giving Van den Berg's character an additional layer of historical interpretation?