Silhouetportret van Daniël Serrurier 1833 - 1870

Friedrich Heinrich Wilhelm Schröder made this silhouette portrait of Daniël Serrurier using cut paper. The stark black against the white background makes the image striking. The silhouette is an interesting process. It's all about negative space, what's cut away rather than what's left. Notice the evenness of the black, and how it flattens the subject. Schröder probably used a sharp blade to achieve these clean lines. It’s a relatively quick process, certainly much faster than painting a portrait. Silhouette portraits were often considered a more affordable alternative to painted miniatures, making them accessible to a broader segment of society. Think of it as the Instagram of its day! They were a popular form of personal documentation, offering a glimpse into the sitter’s likeness and status. Looking at this object, it’s important to remember that materials, making, and context are all intertwined, giving an artwork its full meaning. This challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.