Buste van een oude man met grote kraag en haakneus Possibly 1744 - 1749

Curator: Immediately, I'm struck by a sort of mournful theatricality in this portrait. Is that just me? Editor: Not at all! Let's orient our listeners. What we're viewing is titled "Bust of an Old Man with a Large Collar and Hook Nose," a print likely dating between 1744 and 1749, crafted with etching and engraving techniques. Christian Ludwig von Hagedorn is the artist. Curator: Oh, "Bust of an Old Man…" They’re so literal sometimes, aren’t they? But “hook nose” indeed—the defining feature! It's like the artist seized on caricature to highlight, or perhaps exaggerate, the contours of age. The collar adds a performative element to the sitter. Editor: It's a wonderfully observed character study. Observe how the density of cross-hatching articulates form and texture: the delicate wrinkles, the wisps of hair… Note the formal structure underlying the impressionistic rendering of age. Curator: And he’s leaning back ever so slightly, his mouth is open, is he holding forth? Or maybe just sighing? There's a vulnerability there that's compelling, maybe even poignant, especially considering the bold lines of the printmaking. It's Baroque drama on a small scale. Editor: Precisely. Hagedorn uses the print medium to push the contrast. There is high tenebrism with a dynamic composition. Notice the stark play between the man's shadowy figure and the light reflecting off the ruff. Formally it’s all quite balanced, but not static! The asymmetry of the figure adds depth and momentum. Curator: A perfect visual symphony for the ear as well, if I dare say. One can almost hear the scratch of the needle creating this arresting, fleeting image. Editor: An unforgettable union between subject and artistry that keeps echoing.