Portrait of Johannes Petrus Schouberg, Stamp Engraver at the Imperial Mint in Utrecht 1830 - 1855

Abraham Hendrik Winter painted this portrait of Johannes Petrus Schouberg, who was a stamp engraver at the Imperial Mint in Utrecht. It gives us a glimpse into the life and identity of a man working in a very specific profession during the 19th century. Consider how Schouberg is presented here. Dressed in a dark coat with a high, frilled collar that speaks to the fashion of the time, he is also holding what appears to be a book of musical scores. There is a sense of refinement and intellectual engagement in his posture and the inclusion of the music book. The artist is not only capturing Schouberg's likeness, but also suggesting something about his inner life and social standing. What does it mean to be a man of the mint? The portrait seems to negotiate the tensions between the professional identity of a craftsman and the personal identity of a cultured individual during a time of significant social and economic change. In essence, it humanizes a figure often defined by his profession.