Marmeren buste van burgemeester Johannes Munter door Bartholomeus Eggers 1876

Curator: I'm struck by the almost ghostly pallor of this sculpted face...it's compelling, and slightly unsettling, I think. Editor: Yes, that ethereal quality comes through even in reproduction. What you're looking at is a photographic rendering of Bartholomeus Eggers' marble bust of Johannes Munter, made around 1876, now residing in the Rijksmuseum collection. Curator: Eggers? The name is new to me. Munter...he seems a stern, almost severe character. His expression is carefully controlled, but there’s a hint of melancholy there too, no? I bet his personality was very formal. Editor: Absolutely. Eggers, a prominent sculptor of the era, captures Munter, a leading citizen of Amsterdam, with Neoclassical precision. Observe the idealized features, the smooth texture of the marble, conveying a sense of dignity and civic virtue. Curator: Ah, the dignity of the wealthy. And all the trappings to portray themselves just so. Even so, don't you feel a slight remove, as though we’re not truly glimpsing Munter, but an idea OF Munter? As the formal, perfectly-groomed, somewhat distant leader they all thought he was? I bet there were plenty of dinner parties where they put their hair up, and loosened up! I wonder if Eggers partied much? Editor: An intriguing perspective, that the image represents a staged or stylized version of the man! Structurally, though, the bust commands attention, with its carefully balanced composition. The folds of the drapery and the subtle turn of the head, directing your attention… Curator: Yes! The "turn of the head!" It gives him life, a moment's hesitation maybe before he renders another judgement. These artists are sly ones. And he does have lovely, albeit severe hair! Editor: Agreed. Perhaps, through Eggers' mastery of the medium, Johannes Munter, continues to offer insight and continued discussion. What an icon.