Portret van Andreas Schelfhout 1842

Coenraad Hamburger made this graphite drawing of Andreas Schelfhout in 1842. It epitomizes the public role of art in the Netherlands in the first half of the 19th century. This was a time when the art world was becoming more formalized, with institutions like art academies and societies gaining importance. The drawing would likely have been made for presentation at one of these societies. The cultural references in the image tell us of the importance of portraiture within the social and artistic circles of the time. Artists often portrayed each other to cement professional relationships, and establish themselves within a particular artistic milieu. Further research into exhibition records, letters, and other archival documents could reveal much about the relationship between Hamburger and Schelfhout. The meaning of this image, therefore, is deeply rooted in its social and institutional context.