Portret van Stephanus Revai de Reva 1649

Editor: Here we have Elias Widemann's 1649 engraving, "Portret van Stephanus Revai de Reva", held here at the Rijksmuseum. The sitter is framed by ornate text. It has a severity to it, doesn't it? Almost…foreboding? What catches your eye about this work? Curator: Foreboding...yes, there's a gravity to these formal Baroque portraits, an official quality intended to impress. But I also find a kind of quiet intimacy in Widemann's hand. Look closely at the way he renders the fur collar – isn't it tactile, almost inviting? Do you notice how the gaze follows you? It makes me feel as if the sitter sees beyond what is drawn... beyond time! He was a Captain in Tockay - that makes me think he would have tales to tell. Does it make you feel a similar way? Editor: I see what you mean about the fur now; I hadn't really noticed that detail before! It almost feels...cozy amidst all that Latin text! But if you could ask Stephanus anything, what would it be? Curator: Ooh, now there's a question that bounces in my soul! I think I'd ask him about Tockay in his era...What the place felt and smelled like during his time. Beyond battles and titles, what brought him joy? It's funny isn't it, how a formal portrait like this can be an invitation for imaginative stories. Editor: I think I understand now, seeing past that first austere impression lets us see so much more! It reminds us that those stern faces from history were real, multi-faceted individuals. Thank you for sharing your perspective.