Staande man in wapenrusting 1778 - 1838

Curator: Standing Man in Armor, made sometime between 1778 and 1838 by Anthonie van den Bos. It’s an etching and engraving, a print now residing here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Gosh, he looks so...determined. Striding right off the page, doesn't he? Almost like he's saying, "Onwards, to high tea!" The lines are so delicate, though, it's a paradox. Power, rendered so lightly. Curator: Yes, that tension between the martial and the decorative is quite key. Van den Bos likely worked from an existing portrait or history painting; these prints were often made as accessible versions of more exclusive artworks for a broader public. Consider it art reproduction for the masses. Editor: Ah, democratization via etching! I love that idea, taking these powerful figures, the trappings of war, and turning them into something someone can pin up in their parlor. It's subversive in a way. And the tiny soldiers behind him! Barely more than scratches. Is it satire? Is it glory? Curator: Well, the "history painting" style was meant to elevate, to inspire. But the very act of reproducing it, especially at this scale, does invite a kind of...questioning. He's certainly not presented heroically, there is almost something a bit theatrical about the whole image. It’s playing with representation itself. Editor: Theatrical! That's it! He's not just determined; he's putting on a show. Look at that wig! And the cape – so flamboyant. He's ready for his close-up, not necessarily the battlefield. The helmet to the side feels more like a prop than gear for battle. Curator: Exactly! It suggests a remove, a constructed image of authority rather than genuine authority itself. Remember that by this time, the traditional warrior imagery was beginning to lose some of its shine. Editor: So, what begins as a statement of power becomes almost a commentary on power’s performance. Van den Bos may have been a lot deeper than people give him credit for! I walked into this thinking ‘another stoic soldier portrait,’ but I’m leaving with a head full of questions on the idea of power and performance! Curator: And isn't that exactly the joy of encountering art, that sense of shifting perspectives. To transform perception; seeing isn't always believing but it’s definitely inspiring!