Portret van Domenico Chelli before 1803

Curator: Domenico Chelli, sketched sometime before 1803. The work, simply titled "Portret van Domenico Chelli," is a pencil drawing, now residing at the Rijksmuseum. A quick study, really. Editor: He looks… resigned? Or perhaps contemplative. The economy of line is remarkable – the artist captured a world of personality in just a few strokes. What do you make of his posture, so self-contained? Curator: It reminds me of Roman portrait busts. The Neoclassical movement reveled in the aesthetics of antiquity, favoring sober restraint over flamboyant expression. This architect, Chelli, probably appreciated that! I feel like it’s an architect drawing another architect. A quiet moment between artists, sharing a reverence for clean lines. Editor: Ah, yes. We see so much ‘reverence’ in Neoclassicism, this deep admiration and effort to return to idealized forms of the ancient world. Think about the symbol of the profile – a way of signifying classical virtue. Profiles distill a person to their essence, a timeless image. But this one has such a fleeting feeling. Curator: It’s also incredibly informal. Almost intimate. Pencil lends itself to such subtle gradations. The way the light catches the cheek… I imagine the artist, sketching in a sun-drenched Florentine courtyard. Pure conjecture, of course. Editor: But delicious conjecture. Tell me, what does this face say about the cultural milieu? This portrait captures the aspirations of a new enlightened era and this interest in humanizing each other through these thoughtful portraits. Curator: That even architects get tired. No, but really, in that sense, yes – he presents as a man aware of posterity, yet still very much present. A man of craft. He's interesting – as an artist, Denon also moved in diplomatic and scientific circles; you have this combination of skills in one person. How does this image shape or perhaps alter your initial impression? Editor: It confirms it, in a strange way. The classical elements feel intentional, even strategic, an effort at lasting cultural presence. But also a sense of isolation... that intense interiority is, in itself, a powerful symbol. Curator: Precisely, these pencil lines feel a little like musical notes - suggestive. He almost appears lost in a silent composition of form and thought. Editor: Yes! I suppose images, especially these ‘quick’ portraits, offer so much space for viewers to inscribe their feelings.