Portret van Oliver Cromwell 1845

Curator: Looking at this portrait, "Portret van Oliver Cromwell," a print by Louis Auguste Darodes from 1845, what strikes you first? Editor: Honestly, it’s that furrowed brow, isn't it? The guy looks like he just walked in from battling a particularly annoying swarm of midges. But beneath the irritation, I sense an almost tragic resolve. It's the sort of look one gets after telling off a king or two. Curator: Precisely! Darodes captures Cromwell’s complexity wonderfully through incredibly refined graphite and engraving techniques, particularly through those facial contours. There is almost a romantic melancholy around the figure, even a feeling of a Byronic hero in a hat. Do you notice the texture? Editor: I see the hat. Is it wrong I am distracted by that flamboyant hat and feather, and how the darkness surrounding his figure enhances this Romantic aura. Structurally, I’m curious about how Darodes handles light, because it really is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here. It highlights certain details – the steel gorget glinting beneath his collar, the weight of the sash across his chest. He is the Man! Curator: Right, Darodes is almost using light to stage Cromwell. Editor: Absolutely! And the formal composition suggests that we can feel his torment. It is an interesting commentary, considering his legacy! Curator: Ultimately, Darodes captures a fleeting sense of psychological depth through rather traditional, Romantic strategies. That expression might be timeless, though! Editor: Absolutely timeless, and this exploration made it new again.