Portret van Arthur Onslow Esqr. op 43-jarige leeftijd 1735

Editor: This is a rather imposing portrait of Arthur Onslow Esqr. at the age of 43, created in 1735 by John Faber II. It's an engraving, and something about the sheer volume of that wig combined with the rigid posture gives it such a sense of formality. What strikes you when you look at this? Curator: You know, it’s funny you say imposing. My first thought wasn't so much formality but… performance. Look at the slight theatricality of his pose, the way the light catches that magnificent wig – a waterfall of power, wouldn’t you agree? I mean, those baroque details – they weren’t just fashion statements. How does the visual language play into notions of authority, wouldn't you say? Editor: Yes, now that you point it out, it’s definitely a performance of authority, I guess, of status. And that crown behind him isn't subtle, is it? The composition feels so carefully arranged...almost staged. Curator: Precisely! Faber doesn't just record Onslow, he crafts a potent symbol of 18th-century British power. Imagine being confronted by this in his time. Does it have the intended effect, do you think, even today? The weight of history and hierarchy, made undeniably present through masterful strokes. Editor: I think it's easy to see how this image would project power. I mean, you can almost feel the weight of the wig on his head! Now that I look closer I see how this image really captures not just a likeness, but an era. Curator: Exactly! That wig…more like a visual declaration, shouting from the rooftops. Thanks for sharing this, that's not a nuance I initially appreciated fully. It has got me thinking! Editor: Thanks so much for sharing that lens, that’s helped me see how this speaks volumes, and now I notice other levels that would go right past me if I were just to stroll by it on a gallery.