Portret van een dame met een hoog kapsel 1660 - 1721

Editor: We're looking at "Portret van een dame met een hoog kapsel," a pencil drawing by John (I) Faber, created sometime between 1660 and 1721. The lady’s enormous hairstyle immediately strikes me. What can you tell me about this work? Curator: Well, that "hoog kapsel," as the title indicates, speaks volumes about the sitter’s social standing. During the late Baroque period, particularly in aristocratic circles, hairstyles became incredibly elaborate. It’s not just fashion; it's a performance of status. How do you think portraits like this functioned in society? Editor: I guess they showed off wealth and importance. Almost like an early form of public image management. Curator: Precisely. Consider the socio-political context: power was centralized in courts, and portraits were vital tools for projecting that power. They weren't just about capturing a likeness. What message do you think this particular image tries to convey? Is it only about status? Editor: The details of her clothing suggest sophistication. The soft lines used in the drawing style almost soften what might be an otherwise intimidating portrayal. I hadn't thought about these portraits as active tools used by elites. Curator: The “softening” could be deliberate. Faber might be playing with the expected rigidity of formal portraiture to create a slightly more approachable image. How does seeing this artwork change your perspective on similar portraits you've seen in other museums? Editor: I now see how much these portraits were used as ways for their subjects to present themselves in ways that cemented their positions in society. I'll never look at them in quite the same way again! Curator: Indeed. And that's the power of art history: revealing the complex interplay between art, power, and social identity. It changes the way we perceive the art itself!