Portret van de arts Wilhelm Fabry von Hilden 1830 - 1853

Editor: Here we have "Portret van de arts Wilhelm Fabry von Hilden," a print by Pierre Roch Vigneron, dating from 1830 to 1853. It has a formal and almost austere feel to it, though the details in his face are very striking. How do you interpret this work? Curator: This engraving offers a lens into 19th-century perceptions of scientific authority and the construction of medical identity. How does the portrait engage with prevailing societal notions of health, knowledge, and power? Editor: I guess he looks rather serious and important. It does strike me that portraits like this tend to emphasize certain characteristics of the sitter. Curator: Exactly! Consider how Fabry's portrayal—his attire, gaze, and the very deliberate realism of the engraving—constructs an image of the educated professional. To what extent does this portrait, and others like it, reinforce a hierarchical power structure of knowledge, specifically in the context of 19th-century medicine? It’s important to remember the context: What narratives might be excluded from such an image of scientific prowess? Editor: That's interesting. So the print does more than depict an individual; it actively participates in shaping cultural values around medicine and knowledge itself? Curator: Precisely. These images become tools for solidifying the social standing of the portrayed and promoting certain values. It asks us to reflect on whose voices are amplified and whose are silenced in these visual representations of power. Editor: I never considered that before! It makes me see this print—and perhaps all portraiture—in a completely new light. Curator: Me too; looking through an intersectional lens really transforms the art.