Portret van Herman Hengstenburgh after 1726

Curator: Jacob Houbraken created this engraving, etching, and print of Herman Hengstenburgh after 1726, which we now house here at the Rijksmuseum. What’s grabbing your eye initially about this work? Editor: Well, there's something serene, almost stoic, in the sitter's gaze that’s quite captivating. The oval frame feels almost like a window onto another time. Does it resonate with you similarly? Curator: It does. The details are really working in concert. Consider the subject’s attire, and how that contributes to a kind of quiet authority that was often cultivated in baroque portraiture of prominent figures like Hengstenburgh. Can we unravel more about who he was? Editor: Of course! We know Hengstenburgh was a man of standing, although details of his life remain somewhat sparse, in large part because, as we consider such artwork, archives too may contain biased stories influenced by prevailing views and political narratives that elevated specific classes of elites while suppressing records or contributions by individuals from historically excluded communities, whether due to gender, race, class or religion. The engraving exemplifies that cultural elevation—though these portraits often provide glimpses of individual humanity. What elements signal Baroque portraiture for you? Curator: The very fine detail in the hair and draped clothing really stand out for me, especially given the artist used printmaking techniques that could easily coarsen those fine lines and gradations of light and shadow. I mean, it would be nice to linger on the socio-political power this man wielded, but I have a sincere admiration for the level of dedication involved in capturing Hengstenburgh's likeness through the artistic process, given the medium of the piece! Editor: Indeed! But it's exactly within these tensions between personal expression, technical finesse, and representation that we can start asking much more about that man in the window and the complex relationship between sitter and engraver! Curator: What a pleasure it’s been diving into those complexities today with you. It really encourages me to return and re-examine the piece soon! Editor: For me too. Looking beyond mere aesthetics lets us perceive those dynamic crosscurrents between individual subjectivity, artistry, historical moment, and its lingering echos through the passage of time.