Portret van Athanasius Kircher op 62-jarige leeftijd 1664

Editor: We're looking at a print from 1664 by Cornelis Bloemaert, titled "Portret van Athanasius Kircher op 62-jarige leeftijd"—Portrait of Athanasius Kircher at the Age of 62. It’s housed here at the Rijksmuseum. It feels like a very formal portrait, very much of its time. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This image whispers of cultural memory and the enduring power of symbols. Kircher, framed within that oval, isn’t just a man, he's an icon. Note the books behind him – they're not just props. They’re symbols of knowledge, secrets waiting to be unlocked, alluding to Kircher's vast, perhaps even fantastical, scholarship. Does that frame remind you of anything? Editor: An architectural feature? Or a coin? Something like that. Curator: Precisely! And consider that inscription below the portrait. Text, as image, reinforces Kircher's persona, adding layers of meaning and association. Even the seemingly simple act of portraiture becomes a vessel for transmitting complex ideas and cultural values. Editor: So it’s less about accurately depicting Kircher, and more about building an image around him? Highlighting his status and importance. Curator: Indeed. It speaks volumes about how the subject wished to be seen and remembered. Bloemaert uses familiar symbols, recognized codes, to construct and perpetuate a carefully curated identity for Kircher across time. Ask yourself: what survives, what is left out, and why? Editor: I hadn't considered the text as a visual element so much. That definitely adds another layer to how the image conveys its message. Curator: And that is the magic of visual language.