Portret van Aart van der Goes before 1752

Editor: Here we have Jacob Houbraken's engraving "Portret van Aart van der Goes," created before 1752. The formality of the pose and the medium itself lend a real gravity to the image, don't you think? How do you read the construction of this portrait? Curator: Indeed. Consider the geometric interplay. The oval border containing the subject, juxtaposed with the rectangular inscription plaque below, creates a balanced tension. The carefully controlled lines of the engraving emphasize the texture of the sitter's garments and the contours of his face. Note how the artist uses hatching and cross-hatching to build up tonal values, giving volume to the figure within this very rigid structure. Does the framing impact your interpretation? Editor: I think it makes him feel more distant, almost like a historical artifact rather than a person. I am drawn to the man’s face, which seems less rigid than the rest of the engraving, yet framed like a stone. The textures of his garment conflict with the rigidity, don’t they? Curator: Precisely. This tension invites contemplation. Observe also how the artist uses line weight to emphasize certain features—the lines are heavier around the face, drawing the eye to his expression. This manipulation of visual elements to guide the viewer is a crucial element of formalist interpretation. Is the composition's use of symmetry or asymmetry an added influence? Editor: Definitely! Thank you. Looking at the image through a formalist lens really helps to break down the elements and to see what makes it so compelling. It almost makes it less about Aart van der Goes as a person, and more about how effectively Houbraken communicates the image, or, construction of an image. Curator: Precisely, we are understanding how visual rhetoric functions! We’re seeing here that through this analysis, an artwork reveals new ideas that stem purely from examining line, form, and composition.