Portret van Barend Kornelisse van Keulen 1777

Curator: There's an assertive, almost confrontational energy to this engraving. The sitter's gaze and pointing finger definitely command your attention. Editor: We're looking at "Portret van Barend Kornelisse van Keulen," an engraving created in 1777 by Jacob Houbraken. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection. Van Keulen was apparently a "vrijbuiter," or privateer, during the Siege of Leiden in 1574. Curator: It's interesting how Houbraken chooses to depict him. That wide-brimmed hat and the ruff collar... these elements feel intentionally chosen to convey authority and perhaps a touch of the theatrical, typical of baroque sensibilities in portraiture. Editor: Absolutely. It also reinforces how portraiture functioned in the 18th century – constructing and projecting status and legacy. To have one's portrait engraved was itself a mark of distinction and allowed for wider circulation and, consequently, social influence. Curator: The pointing gesture has stuck with me. It almost compels you to acknowledge him, to remember him. It transcends a mere visual representation and becomes an active assertion of presence through time. I wonder about the original painting. I suppose it does not look exactly as Houbraken's work, since at the bottom it reads 'based on a self-portrait from the original'. Editor: It certainly suggests a forceful personality. Given van Keulen's role during the siege, this could be an intentional construction meant to align with a patriotic or heroic narrative, which obviously have a very strong significance in times of war or in politically troubled periods. The figure looms large not only in his stance but through these elements of collective memory. Curator: It speaks to how individuals become symbols, consciously crafted or re-imagined over time. It’s more than a picture. Editor: Indeed. Engravings like these served not only as likenesses but as tools in shaping historical memory. Houbraken's engraving freezes that narrative, giving van Keulen enduring agency. Curator: I leave contemplating the layered meanings and intent of the work... Editor: Agreed. A brief visual encounter which expands our comprehension of societal values.