Portret van Dionysius Spranckhuysen 1641

Editor: This is a striking portrait – an engraving, actually – of Dionysius Spranckhuysen, created in 1641 by Crispijn van den Queborn. There's such seriousness in his gaze, and the detail in his beard and fur collar is incredible! It's held at the Rijksmuseum, so must be of some significance. What strikes you most when you look at it? Curator: Oh, he looks like he holds a great deal of wisdom, doesn't he? It feels very Dutch, almost…stolid, I'd say, but in the best way. Look at the inscription, framing the portrait in Latin. “Doceo dum disco”: “I teach while I learn”. It tells us so much about his purpose and perhaps something about van den Queborn's. It feels as if Van den Queborn wants to do justice to Spranckhuysen by portraying not just likeness but virtue. What does this remind you of? Is it a photo? Or maybe the image on money? Why use images on money, after all? Editor: That’s a good point. I guess the idea is to invoke trust, project authority. I see how that would connect with the portrait’s intent to convey Spranckhuysen’s virtue. But did everyone back then read Latin? I suppose that adds another layer for interpretation? Curator: Precisely! Knowledge was more tightly controlled back then, I should imagine that not everyone read Latin and perhaps that's exactly the point... The Baroque loves to speak to various audience on several layers! How fascinating is that?! It challenges us as contemporary observers! Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way. Now, looking again, the formality makes more sense. He isn't just anyone. Curator: Exactly! Next time you see something similar, ask yourself, what are they really trying to *say*? Editor: Definitely will do! Thanks for pointing that out! This changed the whole thing for me.