Portret van Kara Mustafa Pasha 1670 - 1724

Curator: Today, we're looking at "Portret van Kara Mustafa Pasha," an engraving made by Jacob Gole sometime between 1670 and 1724. The print is currently held here at the Rijksmuseum. What’s your first impression? Editor: Ominous. Definitely gives off a “Don't mess with me” vibe. The guy is holding a sword and wearing what looks like an enormous bird on his head. Intimidating, dramatic, a bit baroque in its intensity, like a visual thunderclap. Curator: Absolutely. Gole's mastery of line and contrast shapes the reading. Note the careful balance between detail and abstraction, guiding the eye to key details—the subject's stern gaze, the ornate details on his turban and robe, all framed by that swirling, serpentine border. Editor: That border! I’m getting anxiety just looking at it! The frame, the text—it's all crammed together. There is a ton of symbolic information in the lower quarter. Almost like a heraldic shield gone wild. He wasn’t a subtle fellow, was he? Curator: Not particularly. The engraving highlights his power through visual rhetoric, presenting Kara Mustafa Pasha as a figure of authority and, given his historical role, perhaps also of ill omen. His failures in Vienna led to his execution—reflected, perhaps, in the stark blacks and whites. Editor: It’s the way Gole captured the textures that's impressive. The softness of the fur trim against the glint of the metal—it almost tricks you into thinking you're looking at layers, even though it's all line work. It's that contrast, isn't it, between the opulent textures and his harsh fate? The impermanence of power beautifully rendered. Curator: Indeed. It’s a fascinating piece, emblematic of the era’s fascination with portraiture and the use of printmaking to disseminate powerful imagery. It's also a clear demonstration of the artist’s formal skills, skillfully controlling visual tone. Editor: You know, staring at it longer, I think there’s a sad grandeur to it, too. Despite the evident status and menace, one can sense a kind of weight in his expression –the burden of leadership or perhaps a premonition? Something almost tragic. Curator: An astute observation. It's in those complexities that the true power of this engraving lies. Thanks for pointing that out.