Portret van Joseph Jérôme Lefrançois de Lalande 1775 - 1855

Curator: This drawing is titled "Portret van Joseph Jérôme Lefrançois de Lalande." It’s by Paul Tassaert and is thought to have been created sometime between 1775 and 1855, rendered in pen. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: Austere, but with a hint of mischief in the eyes. The figure commands attention with his gaze and the confident penmanship of the artist enhances the subject’s presence, but I wonder, who was this person? Curator: Well, Joseph Jérôme Lefrançois de Lalande was a prominent astronomer and writer. Tassaert likely used pen to capture the precise detail often favored during the Neoclassical movement. You see it also in the inscription and the overall linear approach to the drawing. Editor: The choice of pen is fascinating. A tool capable of both scientific precision and artistic expression reflecting the dual role of knowledge and craft in that era. The medal looks like an order or knighthood which suggests Lalande had some impact on the politics of astronomy. Curator: Exactly. Medals and decorations in portraits like this served to signal the sitter’s position within societal hierarchies. This would have been crucial for projecting status. Do you think there might be a link between how Tassaert, the maker, fits into these hierarchies too? Editor: It is definitely important to unpack. Where did Tassaert’s labor intersect with the dominant culture and the institutions which supported astronomical study and portraiture? A deep dive into this era would highlight art production being entangled in class and knowledge economies. Curator: Thinking about Lalande's era brings into focus this intersection of individual and social influence. The use of simple lines highlights not just artistic skill, but this need for control over both image and societal impression. Editor: It prompts questions around how representation serves and possibly subverts power. By interrogating that further, we see beyond a simple image and see layers of influence and control at play. Curator: Thank you. Editor: Likewise, thank you.