Portret van Daniel Wülfer after 1650

Editor: This is "Portret van Daniel Wülfer," a print made after 1650 by Peter Troschel, rendered in the old engraving style. It feels very serious, almost scholarly. What's your read on this engraving? Curator: Ah, yes. It whispers to me of intellect and introspection, doesn't it? The subject, holding what appears to be a brain—how wonderfully symbolic! Do you see how Troschel used light and shadow, that Baroque flourish, to suggest a man teeming with ideas? A skull also could point to contemplating one's mortality, a very Baroque theme. And that intricate collar, a visual metaphor, perhaps, for the complexities contained within. What stories might that man hold within? What truths did his "Hora Ultima," or last hour, reveal? Editor: I didn’t notice the brain at first. The collar was grabbing my attention! All that detail in the ruff compared to the figure's robe. So, do you think the "Hora Ultima" on the brain/skull medallion is a memento mori, then? Curator: Perhaps. Or maybe it hints at a life lived fully, where every moment counts. Baroque art loved these kinds of puzzles! The inscription beneath offers further clues. The idea of wisdom and eloquence. What secrets can *you* unlock in the subject's face? His half smile? His knowing eyes? Does his expression signal "carpe diem?" Editor: Definitely something thoughtful and serious there... So much more than just a portrait. Curator: Exactly! Troschel invites us into a silent dialogue with Wülfer himself. How fabulous!