Portret van Armand Benoît Roussel als Henri V in de komedie La Jeunesse de Henri V 1823

Editor: Here we have Alexandre-Marie Colin's 1823 print, a drawing in ink titled "Portret van Armand Benoît Roussel als Henri V in de komedie La Jeunesse de Henri V" which roughly translates to a portrait of Armand Benoît Roussel as Henry V in the comedy *The Youth of Henry V*. It's incredibly detailed; I'm struck by the subject's almost melancholy gaze despite the flamboyant costume. What's your take on this, coming at it fresh? Curator: Fresh is the word, like morning dew on velvet! The portrait pulses with a quiet longing, doesn’t it? Colin's chosen ink allows us to imagine the velvety rustle of the garments, while the theatrical backdrop sets the stage, quite literally. Does the romantic air remind you of a certain period, perhaps in contrast to what the actor is playing? Editor: Absolutely, it’s pure Romanticism! All that emotion… so, we're seeing this figure acting in *Henry V*, a play of history, through a Romantic lens. How did theatrical portraiture function at the time? Curator: Actors in character became potent cultural icons, celebrated almost like modern-day movie stars. The portraits provided glimpses into the elusive nature of identity and transformation. Look at how the soft hatching caresses Armand’s face! Does this speak to the fleeting nature of both performance and self? Editor: Yes! It’s almost as if the ink captures the essence of a moment, not just the person. Like freezing a feeling. I hadn't thought about it that way. Thank you for sharing this lens; I understand it on a new, visceral level now. Curator: It’s truly art, right? Not just pigment on paper, but captured dreams, like fireflies in a jar.