Portret van Henri Herman Werner Francois Antoine de Crumpipen 1830 - 1840

Editor: Here we have a portrait, entitled "Portret van Henri Herman Werner Francois Antoine de Crumpipen," dating from 1830 to 1840, by H. van Boterdael. It appears to be an engraving. It strikes me as quite formal, almost austere, even with its delicate lines. What do you see in this piece that I might be missing? Curator: What I see is a study in restraint. Look at the tight lines of the engraving, almost as if the artist was afraid to breathe too heavily onto the plate. And consider the sitter: so proper, powdered wig perfectly coiffed, that tiny medal... he seems a man very concerned with appearances, doesn't he? Though perhaps, and this is just a wild thought, perhaps that's exactly what Boterdael wanted us to think. Portraits are never really about perfect likeness, are they? More like carefully constructed fictions. What do you think this portrait tells us about ideas about masculinity and power at the time? Editor: Well, I hadn't considered it in that light, but I suppose that level of detail and formality speak to a desire to project authority, or at least a certain image of oneself. I do think that perhaps you are right. I assumed this was an accurate likeness! Curator: Remember, we can never truly know. It's a fun thought experiment, right? Maybe the gentleman was a riot. Editor: It really is. Now, I can't unsee this portrayal as anything but intentional and crafted. Curator: And that's the joy of art, isn't it? One little crack, and the whole thing looks different.